A Computational Journey of Hypersonic Phenomenon Travelling Towards the Aerospace Horizons and Beyond

Abstract

This study provides an extensive analysis of hypersonic flow modeling and its applications, including scramjets and detonation phenomena. A computational analysis was conducted to compare the drag of two-dimensional re-entry vehicles: one with a blunt shape and the other with a wedge shape. Furthermore, the aerodynamic characteristics of the re-entry vehicles were investigated at various Mach numbers. These hypersonic simulations were evaluated using different turbulence models. To enhance thrust and specific impulse, the NASA Hyper X-43A scramjet shape was employed as a reference in the application section, with modifications made to the throat regions of the combustion chamber, which were scaled to 1.4 and 2.8 times, respectively. The fuel injectors used were two spike-shaped struts, and simulations were performed at various Mach numbers. Additionally, simulations of the exterior segment of the NASA Hyper X-43A scramjet vehicle were conducted. Subsequently, a single wedge-shaped fuel injector was utilized to examine the stability of detonation waves and to compare them to deflagration, thereby studying the detonation phenomenon.