Abstract
Results of numerical simulation of inviscid compressible flow around a generic satellite launch vehicle (SLV) with strap-on boosters using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code named Star-CD are experimentally evaluated. Governing equations of flow around the SLV with two and two strap-on boosters were solved in three dimensions using the SIMPLE algorithm in an unstructured tetrahedral mesh, to determine longitudinal aerodynamic coefficients and surface pressure distribution at Mach numbers from 0·6 to 2·0, and angles-of-attack from 0° to 16°. To evaluate the numerical results, 1:100th scale models of the SLV were tested in a trisonic wind tunnel in the same configurations and flow conditions as those analysed numerically. Comparison of results shows reasonable agreement between numerical and experimental values, however, drag coefficients had to be corrected to compensate the effects of base flow and the struts connecting the boosters to the core rocket. This evaluation shows that a relatively simple simulation of flow using a commercial CFD code can be considered an efficient tool for prediction of aerodynamic characteristics of a multi body satellite launch vehicle with a level of accuracy acceptable in the process of preliminary aerodynamic design.
Experimental investigation of plume-induced flow separation on the National Launch System 1 1/2-stage launch vehicle