Numerical Investigations of Particle Interaction with Navy Relevant High-Speed Flows

Hypersonics research is currently one of the highest technical priorities for the Department of Defense and the Navy. Hypersonic flight provides the capability to increase both the range and reduce the travel time and as such a large-range rapid response capability. The ability to accurately predict the complex flow field around hypersonic flight hardware and provide a profound understanding of the relevant physics is essential to reduce design margins and system uncertainties, and, ultimately, guide the development of novel innovative designs. Current and future hypersonic vehicles are designed to obtain optimal aero-thermodynamic characteristics while operating in the atmosphere for sustained period of times. The external disturbance environment, including free-stream turbulence, thermal noise associated with kinetic fluctuations and/or particulates can strongly affect the aerothermodynamics of high-speed vehicle, in particular, the laminar-turbulent transition process. The transition process plays a central role in hypersonic vehicle design because once the flow transitions a significant increase in skin friction and heat transfer coefficients can be observed. Although, it is well-known that a wide range of different particulates are present in the atmosphere, the interaction of these particulates with the aerothermodynamics of high-speed vehicles, is currently not well understood. The proposed research is addressing this important gap in knowledge base by conducting state-of-the-art numerical investigations of particle interactions with high-speed flows. Simulating these complex physical phenomena requires the use of a unique, highly accurate and efficient numerical simulation approach previously developed by the PI. All research studies are performed for geometries prototypical of so-called lifting bodies, slender shaped air vehicles and flow conditions relevant to the Navy.