Turbulence Model Studies to Investigate the Aerodynamic Performance of a NASA Dual Control Missile at Supersonic Mach Numbers

This paper contains an investigation of the ability of some of the current turbulence models to predict viscous effects in supersonic Mach number regimes. In most cases, these turbulence models have been derived and validated in traditional subsonic to transonic Mach number regimes and their application to supersonic and hypersonic regimes is assumed valid without a proper recourse to understanding the wider implications of the viscous flow field at high Mach numbers. In such flow regimes, such characteristics as the strong shock interactions with control surfaces and evolving vortices present in the flow, or other large entropy gradient effects brought about by the forebody or other fin surfaces, produce non-trivial challenges for the turbulence models. This study was aimed at interrogating the strength of the turbulence models to model such physics. The Applied Vehicle Technology Panel Group 082 of the Research Technology Organisation selected a dual control NASA missile to investigate the capabilities ...