Brief Examination of the Possibility for Condensation Trails to Occur on Projectiles Due to Aero-Thermodynamic Causes
Abstract
Test firings of an Army projectile carrying a liquid payload have resulted in sightings of a brief vapor trail early in the flight of the projectile. The purpose of this memorandum is to examine the possibility for aero-thermodynamics to generate a visible condensation trail behind a shell. Flow field computations using thin-layer Navier-Stokes computational techniques have been accomplished to define the local flow temperature distribution about a typical shell at M=.9 and M=2. These results indicate that small regions of flow exist that are conducive to produce condensation; however, these flow conditions are quickly modified by the presence of shock-boundary layer interactions and recompression. It is concluded that aerothermodynamics is an unlikely cause of the reported projectile trails.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA116193
Entities
People
- C. J. Nietubicz
- J. Sahu
- W. B. Sturek
Organizations
- Ballistic Research Laboratory