Parametric study on drag reduction with the combination of the upstream energy deposition and the opposing jet configuration in supersonic flows

Abstract

The drag reduction characteristics play an important role in the supersonic vehicle design phase. According to two drag reduction schemes, the opposing jet and the upstream energy deposition have aroused the widespread interest of researchers. In the current study, the drag reduction effectiveness of a blunt body with the combination of the upstream energy deposition and the opposing jet configuration in supersonic flows is investigated numerically. The three-dimensional coupled implicit compressible Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations coupled with the Menter's shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model are applied to numerically predict flow fields of the blunt body, the variance analysis method is introduced to a parametric study on the drag reduction. Results indicate that a larger overall drag is decreased by the combinational configuration than the single strategies of the opposing jet and the energy deposition. The proposal of the combination of the upstream energy deposition and the opposing jet configuration can be used as an effective method of drag reduction. Meanwhile, due to the existence of the upstream energy deposition, the stability and penetrability of the opposing jet substantially increase, especially for the long penetration mode. Further, some recommendations are provided for the drag reduction factor and drag reduction effectiveness.