FINALIZING THE DIMENSIONS

OF A TEST ARTICLE FOR HIGH

ALTITUDE TEST USING CFD

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 1. INTRODUCTION

Since the inception, CFD has used as a tool that helps to understand about the details of the flow
physics. In addition used as a substitute for wind tunnel in some cases. To understand the details
of the flow phenomena especially for complex bodies, CFD is an essential tool. Now a day’s
CFD also used as a design tool to freeze the configuration and for preliminary analysis. Here in
the present studies, CFD used to finalize the proper test geometry for jet impingement studies.
Characterization of base heating is an important problem for a launch vehicle design. Usually,
launch vehicles are of multi-body configuration. Due to multiple jets interaction, reverse flow
exists which in turn increases the base heating. Hence, the base shroud and the nozzle require
thermal protection system. The vehicle that must considered for the study is having two strapons
and a core. The exit plane of core nozzle is 0.42d ahead of that of strapon nozzle exit plane
(Figure 1). Flow simulations show that at high altitude, core motor jet impinges directly on the
strapon flare and nozzle. Using the flow properties from numerical simulations, the heat flux at
the base of strapon has computed through an engineering technique based on Beckwith and
Galaghar method. To validate this method, a high altitude test has planned.

Figure 1: Schematic outline of base region of the launch vehicle.

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Jet interaction studies in HAT facility have their own difficulties and limitations to simulate the
flight conditions. One of the main reasons is the existence of high jet pressure ratio in flight. In
flight, as the vehicle gains altitude, the ambient pressure falls. However, the motor chamber
pressure is almost constant. Hence, the jet pressure ratio increases and jets spread more and more
with altitude. For the present vehicle configuration, at about 40km altitude, the core jet starts
impinging on the strapon base shroud and nozzle and causes thermal problem. However, the
pressure ratio that has to be attained in the HAT facility is much less corresponding to that of
flight at 40km altitude. As a result, the jets are unable to expand enough to impinge on the
strapon base shroud and nozzle. Numerical simulations for HAT condition also reveal the same.
Flow simulations carried out for HAT condition after changing the dimensions of the base
region of strapon to arrive at suitable test geometry to ensure the jet impingement at the strapon
base. Subsequently for the actual HAT conditions, the flow simulations carried out for finalized
test article. The simulations ensure the impingement of core jet on the strapon base shroud and
nozzle. In this paper, the detailed procedure that has followed to enter the proper test geometry
has discussed.

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 2. NUMERICAL SIMULATION

CFD code PARAS-3D has used to simulate the flow over the air borne vehicle. Laminar as well
as turbulent, 3-dimensional flow over arbitrary three-dimensional bodies be able to simulate by
PARAS-3D [1, 2]. It can solve viscous and inviscid flow using finite volume methods on
Cartesian grids. A flux at the interface of the cell has computed by means of an approximate
Riemann solver. The explicit scheme is second order accurate in space and of TVD (Total
Variation Diminishing) type. Grids get adapted automatically based on the body geometry during
grid generation. As the solution proceeds, the flow has refined by adding some more grids at the
region of high flow gradients and at the same time, the extra cells have removed around the
region of low gradients. Standard K-e turbulence model has used here for simulation of the flow.
2.1 Model

Numerical simulations are been carried out for the flight configuration as well as for HAT test
configuration. Initially an axi-symmetric body (considering the core alone, Figure 2) has
considered simulations to obtain preliminary idea about the dimensional changes required in the
base of flight configuration. The initial grid distribution and domain of simulation has shown in
Figure 3. Subsequently for the finalized HAT model (Figure 5) flow simulations has carried out
for Hat condition to ensure the adequacy of the model.
The Co-ordinate system followed in this paper has shown in Figure 4.

Figure2: Axi-symmetric geometry simulated in CFD.

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 Figure 3: Simulation domain and initial grid distribution.

Figure 4: Coordinate system followed.

Using the symmetry of the body, only half of the test model has simulated. Simulations started
with initial grids 200 X 200 X 80 in longitudinal, lateral, and transverse directions respectively.
Sufficient numbers of grids have adopted at the base region. Simulations have carried out until
very good convergence in results has achieved. Grid and domain independence tests have done
for the vehicle. Final grids vary from 35 to 40 lakhs on case-to-case basis.

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 Figure 5: Test geometry proposed.

Numerical simulations have carried out for the following test conditions.

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 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The HAT jet facility can reach to an ambient condition as low as 2.5 mill bar. The test article
uses solid propellant to generate 60 bar chamber pressure, which has expected to expand to
15700 Pascal at the nozzle exit. The chamber pressure develops as soon as the motor has fired.
Assuming an average chamber pressure of 5 mbar or 500 Pascal and jet exit pressure of 15800
Pascal, the jet pressure ratio has found to be around 32 in HAT test facility. In the case of flight,
the jet pressure ratio varies from 60 to 900 with the variation of altitude. Due to this higher-
pressure ratio, the core jet expands largely in flight as compared to that in the HAT test facility.
Flow simulations using CFD code PARAS-3D for flight configuration and flight conditions
show that the core jet impinges on the strapon base. However, for flight configuration at HAT
condition, the core jet does not impinge on the strapon nozzle surface due to lower jet pressure
ratio. Hence, only way to conduct meaningful or useful jet impingements test so that the core jet
impinge on the strapon base region is either by extending the strapon motor downward or by
bringing the strapon closer to core.
In flight, the strapon nozzle exit plane is 0.42d downstream from the core nozzle exit plane and
lateral distance between the strapon nozzle axis and core nozzle axis is 0.65d. The requirement
of minimum gap between the strapon and core eliminates the possibility of second option i.e. to
bring the strapon closer to core. To estimate the downward shift required, result of 2-D
simulation at Pμ =500Pa and Pj = 15800 Pa is used.

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 Figure 6: Core jet mass fraction.
In Figure 6 the variation of core, jet mass fraction has shown for the above condition. CFD
simulations at flight conditions (Mμ =5.0 to 5.7, P =243.3 to 18.3 Pa) show that, core jet mass
fraction at the strapon base is about 95 – 100%. In Figure 7, the variation of core jet mass
fraction in flight at two different Mach numbers has plotted. Using the 2-D simulation results for
HAT conditions, the downstream distance from the core-nozzle exit plane has estimated where
the core jet mass fraction is 1.0 at the strapon base. That is keeping the radial distance minimum
0.65d, the required axial downstream shift of strapon is estimated to have the core jet
impingement on strapon base region.

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 Figure 7: Core jet mass fraction in flight

Figure 8: Variation of core jet mass fraction along the axial distance
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In Figure 8 the core jet mass fraction variation along the lateral direction(y/d) is shown for
different axial location(x/d).It is clear from the figure that, one needs to go at least 0.50d
downstream to get core jet mass fraction of 1. Considering the variation in jet pressure ratio in
HAT facility and the differences between the 2-D and 3-D flow, an axial shift of 0.55d been
considered for strapon. Using the above information, the test articles dimensions finalized and a
photograph of the test configuration has shown in Figure 9. Since the core jet impinges the
strapon base shroud with a shallower angle as compared to flight case, it has assumed that the
strapon nozzle might remain in the shadow of the strapon base shroud. To ensure the core jet
impingement on strapon nozzle, one of the strapon’s base is configured differently (strapon
diameter is taken same as that of nozzle throat diameter) from the actual configuration such that
it will receive the direct impingement of core jet.

Figure 9: High altitude test configuration.

After finalizing the test configuration, flow simulations have carried out for 3-D test
configuration corresponding to the test condition to check the adequacy of the model. Pre test
CFD simulations have carried out for the test condition in the HAT facility with the ambient

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pressures of two, five, and 10 milibars, and test article chamber pressure of 60 bars to check the
adequacy of the model. The simulations reveal that for all the test conditions, the core jets
impinge on the strapon base. Figure 10 shows the Mach number plot at Pμ =500Pa and Pj =
15800 Pa. In Figure 11, the variation of jet mass fraction has shown. It is clear from the figure
that the core jet impinges on the strapon base.

Figure 10: Mach number palette.

Figure 11: Mass fraction palette.

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 4. CONCLUSION

Numerical simulations carried out to finalize the dimensions of test geometry for jet
impingement studies. Initially, 2-D simulations carried out to get the idea of the changes required
at the vehicle base. Subsequently after realizing the model, 3-D simulations carried out for HAT
conditions. Pre test CFD analysis for test conditions show the adequacy of the model.

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 5. REFERENCES
[1] “Parallisation of Navier -Stoke Code on a Cluster of Workstations”, V. Ashok and Thomas
C Babu, Proceedings of the 6th International High Performance Computing Conference.
[2] “Development of low cost parallel computing platform for CFD applications”, R Balu,
Thomas C Babu, V. Ashok, Pradeep Kumar, and Dipankar Das on third Annual Symposium of
CFD Division of Ae. S.I., Aug.11-12, 2002.

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