DLR TAU Simulations for the Second AIAA Sonic Boom Prediction Workshop

Abstract

The accurate prediction of the sonic boom is essential for the development of a future low boom supersonic aircraft. In this paper geometries and grids provided by the Second AIAA Sonic Boom Prediction Workshop are used to improve a best practice for predicting near field pressure signatures with the DLR TAU code. The workshop provided low boom geometries with different complexities, such as an axisymmetric body, a delta-wing body and a full aircraft configuration with a cruciform tail and an engine. Results for the DLR TAU simulations on the workshop-provided grids are presented for different grid refinement levels using both, Euler and RANS simulations. In addition to the provided grids, mixed-element grids with varying setups are generated. The positions of the shocks and expansions are widely identical for all medium to fine grids but vary for very coarse grids due to the surface triangulation. The pressure magnitude at shocks and expansions is higher for simulations on fine grids compared to coarse grids. It is shown that the influence of the viscosity on the pressure signatures is more significant than the influence of the grid resolution. The agreement between TAU solutions and other participants' solutions is good.