Computational/experimental aeroheating predictions for X-33 Phase II vehicle

X-33 Experimental Aeroheating at Mach 6 Using Phosphor Thermography

“…Fig. 8 a-c illustrates the significant differences found at a = 20, 30, and 40 deg angles of attack at a constant unit Reynolds number of 8 x 10 6 . At a = 20 deg (Fig.…”

“…Thus, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the progression of heating images in Figs. 5 and 6 display the evolution of the laminar windward boundary layer at Re ¥ /ft = 1 x 10 6 to the transitional/turbulent state observed at Re ¥ /ft = 8 x 10 6 . As expected, boundary-layer transition first appeared at the aft end of the model and was found to move forward with increasing Reynolds number.…”

“…As noted earlier, boundary layer transition associated with the bow/fin-shock interaction occurs for unit Reynolds numbers in excess of Re ¥ /ft = 4 x 10 6 . This is more apparent in the extracted fin heating distributions measured over a range of Reynolds numbers and shown in Fig.…”

“…The disturbance from the bow shock interaction on the fin lower surface at a = 30 deg, Fig. 17a, is not readily discernable at the fin half chord station until Re ¥ /ft = 4 x 10 6 . Similarly, the transitional effects from the shock interaction on the fin upper surface at a = 0 deg, Fig.…”

“…To meet the objectives outlined in the tasks, a synergistic experimental/computational approach was utilized. Results from early Phase II wind tunnel heating measurements were compared to laminar and turbulent CFD computations 6 . Flight peak heating rates over the X-33 were then predicted with both an ÒengineeringÓ code and a Navier-Stokes solver.…”