An experimental and computational investigation of the flowfield about an Aeroassisted Space Transportation Vehicle at Mach 10

A combined experimental and computational investigation of the flowfield about an Aeroassisted Space Transportation Vehicle (ASTV) has been performed. The configuration examined was a 70° sphere cone with a cylindrical afterbody at nominal Mach 10, perfect gas conditions. The experimental portion of the investigation was performed in the NASA Langley 31-Inch Mach 10 Tunnel at zero degrees angle of attack. Reynolds number behind the normal shock, based on the forebody diameter was nominally 14,950. Measurements of surface pressure and heat transfer were made on the ASTV forebody, base, and on a cylinder in the near wake. The computational portion of the investigation was performed using the TUFF (Three-Dimensional, Finite-Volume Flow Solver with Fully Coupled Chemistry) code assuming laminar, axisymmetric flow. Pressure and heat transfer distributions on the cylinder were influenced by the impingement of a free shear layer which originated at the forebody comer. The flowfield in the forebody base was influenced by a region of supersonic recirculation upstream of the free shear layer. Experimental and computational surface pressure distributions were in agreement within the experimental uncertainty on the forebody and near the end of the cylinder. Experimental and computational heat transfer distributions were in qualitative agreement on the forebody, but a large disagreement was observed on the cylinder. Previous studies substantiated the experimental results and the disagreement was thought to be due to several factors associated with the computational model.