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Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Kathiravan Balusamy, Vinothraj A. and Suresh V.

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of aerospike and hemispherical aerodisks on flow characteristics and drag reduction in supersonic flow over a blunt body…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of aerospike and hemispherical aerodisks on flow characteristics and drag reduction in supersonic flow over a blunt body. Specifically, the study aims to analyze the impact of varying the length of the cylindrical rod in the aerospike (ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 times the diameter of the blunt body) and the diameter of the hemispherical disk (ranging from 0.25 to 0.75 times the blunt body diameter). CFD simulations were conducted at a supersonic Mach number of 2 and a Reynolds number of 2.79 × 106.

Design/methodology/approach

ICEM CFD and ANSYS CFX solver were used to generate the three-dimensional flow along with its structures. The flow structure and drag coefficient were computed using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation model. The drag reduction mechanism was also explained using the idea of dividing streamline and density contour. The performance of the aero spike length and the effect of aero disk size on the drag are investigated.

Findings

The separating shock is located in front of the blunt body, forming an effective conical shape that reduces the pressure drag acting on the blunt body. It was observed that extending the length of the spike beyond a specific critical point did not impact the flow field characteristics and had no further influence on the enhanced performance. The optimal combination of disk and spike length was determined, resulting in a substantial reduction in drag through the introduction of the aerospike and disk.

Research limitations/implications

To predict the accurate results of drag and to reduce the simulation time, a hexa grid with finer mesh structure was adopted in the simulation.

Practical implications

The blunt nose structures are primarily employed in the design of rockets, missiles, and re-entry capsules to withstand higher aerodynamic loads and aerodynamic heating.

Originality/value

For the optimized size of the aero spike, aero disk is also optimized to use the benefits of both.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 96 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

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Article
Publication date: 17 September 2024

Suresh V., Kathiravan Balusamy and Senthilkumar Chidambaram

An experimental investigation of hemispherical forebody interaction effects on the drag coefficient of a D-shaped model is carried out for three-dimensional flow in the…

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Abstract

Purpose

An experimental investigation of hemispherical forebody interaction effects on the drag coefficient of a D-shaped model is carried out for three-dimensional flow in the subcritical range of Reynolds number 1 × 105 ≤ Re ≤ 1.8 × 105. To study the interaction effect, hemispherical shapes of various sizes are attached to the upriver of the D-shaped bluff body model. The diameter of the hemisphere (b1) varied from 0.25 to 0.75 times the diameter of the D-shaped model (b2) and its gap from the D-shaped model (g/b2) ranged from 0.25 to 1.75 b2.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiments were carried out in a low-speed open-circuit closed jet wind tunnel with test section dimensions of 1.2 × 0.9 × 1.8 m (W × H × L) capable of generating maximum velocity up to 45 m/s. The wind tunnel is equipped with a driving unit which has a 175-hp motor with three propellers controlled by a 160-kW inverter drive. Drag force is measured with an internal six-component balance with the help of the Spider 3013 E-pro data acquisition system.

Findings

The wind tunnel results show that the hemispherical forebody has a diameter ratio of 0.75 with a gap ratio of 0.25, resulting in a maximum drag reduction of 67%.

Research limitations/implications

The turbulence intensity of the wind tunnel is about 5.6% at a velocity of 18 m/s. The uncertainty in the velocity and the drag coefficient measurement are about ±1.5 and ±2.83 %, respectively. The maximum error in the geometric model is about ±1.33 %.

ractical implications

The results from the research work are helpful in choosing the optimum spacing of road vehicles, especially truck–trailer and launch vehicle applications.

Social implications

Drag reduction of road vehicle resulting less fuel consumption as well as less pollution to the environment. For instance, tractor trailer experiencing approximately 45% of aerodynamics drag is due to front part of the vehicle. The other contributors are 30% due to trailer base and 25% is due to under body flow. Nearly 65% of energy was spent to overcome the aerodynamic drag, when the vehicle is traveling at the average of 70 kmph (Seifert 2008 and Doyle 2008).

Originality/value

The benefits of placing the forebody in front of the main body will have a strong influence on reducing fuel consumption.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 96 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

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