22nd Congress of International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences, Harrogate, UK, 28 August - 1st September, 2000
Paper ICAS 2000-5.4.2

HYPERSONIC MISSILES – SOME AEROTHERMODYNAMIC PROBLEM AREAS

R. A. East (1), J. A. Edwards (2)
(1) University of Southampton, UK; (2) DERA, UK

Keywords: hypersonic, kinetic heating, interference effects, aerothermodynamics

Hypersonic weapon systems encounter a number of potential kinetic heating problems. In particular, interference effects associated with the presence of aerodynamic devices to aid stability and control can lead to significant local increases in heat transfer rate. This paper reviews the interference effects associated with flare and fin stabilisers and with the use of control jets. It is shown that many of these flows are extremely complex and present significant computational challenges. Emphasis is given to reviewing the physics of these flows as revealed by experiments.

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