Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition on a Theater Missile

Defense Interceptor

Heath Johnson
Army High Performance Computing Research Center

Project Advisor
Graham Candler (Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics)

Introduction

Linear stability theory has been used for many years to analyze boundary layer
instabilities. However, recent advances in computational speed and efficiency coupled
with more complete gasdynamic models show promise not only as a powerful tool for
analysis of the physics of boundary layer instabilities, but also as a potential design
tool. In this work, we demonstrate the application of linear stability theory to the analysis
of flow over a blunt body. This basic body geometry is common to many hypersonic
applications.

Our work has been motivated in part by recent interest in a class of hypersonic vehicles
such as the Theater Missile Defense interceptor. TMD interceptors are designed
to defeat tactical theater ballistic missiles with high speed precision intercepts. To
accomplish this, an optical window on the seeker head provides infrared data for
terminal guidance of the intercept vehicle. On a typical intercept flight, the missile will
fly through the atmosphere at altitudes of about 20-25 km, and speeds of about 4-5
km/s. Because of the high speed, extreme heat transfer rates are experienced. For the
geometry and flight conditions assumed in this paper, the heat transfer rate reaches
2.35 kW/cm2 at the stagnation point and approximately 140 W/cm2 along the window if
the flow is laminar. However, if the flow becomes turbulent, the heat transfer
along the window can increase by a factor of three to four. To put these numbers in
perspective, the Space Shuttle experiences a stagnation point heat transfer of about 30
W/cm2 during peak reentry heating.

Not only is surface heating a problem, but the transition from laminar to turbulent flow
can also significantly affect the aerodynamic performance of a hypersonic vehicle.
In addition, designers of vehicles such as the TMD interceptor also face some unique
challenges; that is, using an ablative heat shield is one method of overcoming the
problem of large heat transfer rates, but this would introduce foreign species into the
flow. Not only would this degrade the view through the optical window, but it would
also introduce instabilities into the boundary layer, perhaps causing it to become
turbulent. However, if it is possible to use an advanced non-ablative thermal protection
system, it might be possible to keep the boundary layer laminar over a larger portion of
the forebody. This would result in a lower window temperature, and better optical
properties. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that lead to boundary layer
transition, and it is desirable to have a method of predicting the onset of
turbulence.
Results

The following simulations were run on the AHPCRC's Thinking Machines CM-5, a
massively parallel supercomputer. The 3D Navier-Stokes equations are solved with a
finite-volume method using modified Steger-Warming flux-vector splitting, and using the
implicit Data-Parallel Lower-Upper Relaxation (DP-LUR) method developed
by Michael J. Wright and Graham V. Candler. This analysis employs a two-temperature
model for thermal nonequilibrium and a five-species reacting air model for
chemical nonequilibrium.

Temperature contours
The geometry used for these calculations consists of a sphere-triconic body, with a flat
section which represents the optical window. For flight at zero angle of attack,
symmetry of the seeker head allows for computation of the flow over 45 degrees of the
body.

Velocity profile near wall. Vectors indicate velocity,

while colors indicate temperature.

Because stability calculations require very accurate mean flow solutions, a large number
of points are needed to accurately resolve the boundary layer. The calculations
shown here use a grid of approximately one million points. In the picture above, note the
large number of points inside the boundary layer, giving a very accurate solution.
Velocity vectors at every fifth axial grid line are shown.
Once the mean flow solution has been found, a linear stability analysis can be performed
to determine the spatial amplification of disturbances at various frequencies and
axial locations. These amplification rates can be used to predict the boundary layer
transition location. An efficient computational tool has been developed for linear
stability analysis of compressible boundary layers in thermochemical nonequilibrium.
This code has been extensively verified through comparison with the results of
other researchers for hypersonic flat plate flow. This stability code is very efficient when
run on a parallel machine like the SGI Onyx, and a stability analysis can be
performed relatively quickly on a given flow. Coupled with the eN transition prediction
criterion, parametric studies can be performed to assess the effects of body
geometry, air chemistry, and wall cooling on the stability of a boundary layer. Such a tool
has many applications in supersonic and hypersonic flow problems.