Full Navier-Stokes and Thin Layer Approximation for the ARD Aerothermodynamics Simulation

Abstract

In the present technical note Navier-Stokes computations for the ARD capsule under hypersonic laminar perfect gas and hypersonic laminar equilibrium flow assumptions are presented and discussed. The numerical simulation is carried out using two approaches to solve the viscous part, the thin-layer and the full Navier-Stokes model. For the perfect gas case, results are also compared with a solution performed by Aerospatiale. For the perfect gas case the thin-layer approximation overpredicts the levels of heat flux, but the surface static pressure and the flow field around the capsule seem to be insensitive to the type of viscous model used. It turns out overall forces and moments computed with the full Navier-Stokes model may be smaller than those obtained with the thin-layer approach. The results obtained for the equilibrium flow assumption with both viscous model, i.e. thin-layer and full Navier-Stokes, show good.