Analysis of Hypersonic Rarefied Flow past a Flat Plate Using dsmcFoam+ Solver

Abstract

Accurate estimation of surface heat flux at rarefied operating conditions is indispensable for the design of a reliable thermal protection system for Reusable Launch Vehicles. At rarefied atmospheric conditions, conventional continuum-based numerical methods fail to predict the flow field properties, Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is recommended for the flow field predictions. In the present work, hypersonic flow over a flat plate was numerically simulated using dsmcFoam+ solver for near-continuum flow regime. The solver is validated for hypersonic flow over a flat plate case with respect to the literature and the results are analysed in detail to understand viscous interaction. Further, a parametric study was conducted by varying Mach number from 4 to 6 and the contours of pressure, density, and temperature distribution over a flat plate at supersonic to hypersonic flow conditions were analysed. Local pressure coefficient, surface heat flux, and heat transfer coefficient for the given operating conditions are also estimated and the results are discussed. The extension of this study for wedge and Orion geometries is under progress.