Laminar Boundary-Layer Instabilities on Hypersonic Cones: Computations for Benchmark Experiments

Abstract

Although significant advances have been made in hypersonic boundary-layer transition prediction in the last several decades, most design work still relies on empirical correlations or wind tunnel tests. Codes using the semi-empirical eN method will need to be verified and validated before being used for expensive flight vehicles. The STABL code package and its PSE-Chem stability solver are used to compute first and second mode instabilities for both sharp and blunt cones at wind tunnel conditions, with laminar mean flows provided by the DPLR2D Navier-Stokes code. Stetson's 3.81 mm blunt cone case, a sharp cone at Mach 3.5, and a very blunt cone at Mach 8 are analyzed. The computed transition locations agree well with previous computations by other researchers, but larger differences are seen in the local amplification rates for the Stetson blunt cone case. the applicability of various transport property models and their effect on boundary layer stability are examined. This work helps to extend the applicability of STABL to low-temperature flows.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA434260

Entities

People

  • Steven P. Schneider
  • Tyler W. Robarge

Organizations

  • Purdue University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Boundary Layer
  • Boundary Layer Control
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Hypersonic Flight
  • Hypersonic Flow
  • Hypersonic Vehicles
  • Laminar Boundary Layer
  • Low Temperature
  • Spacecraft
  • Thermal Conductivity
  • Transport Properties
  • Two Dimensional
  • Viscous Flow
  • Wind Tunnels

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Fluid Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Boundary Layers
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow