Experimental and Computational Investigation of Drag Reduction by Electric‐Arc Airspikes at Mach 10

Aerodynamic drag reduction effects of an on‐axis electric‐arc airspike have been investigated in Mach 10 flow using RPI’s 24‐inch Hypersonic Shock Tunnel (HST). The long‐range purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of airspike‐augmented flight for future transatmospheric vehicles. The research objective was to characterize airspike phenomena as a function of input arc power (0 to 50‐kW) for a 6‐inch diameter blunt‐body with a fixed arc‐to‐forebody separation of 6.38 inches. An array of lead‐acid batteries supplied power for the self‐sustaining discharge. The joint experimental/ numerical investigation began with the acquisition of a substantial experimental database — against which CFD simulations could be calibrated. The results correlated very well. The HST tests were conducted under low enthalpy, ‘ideal gas’ conditions with a stagnation pressure of 260‐psia and total temperature of 560‐K. A fast response PCB accelerometer measured drag forces on the blunt‐body model during 1–5 ms of ‘unres...