Development of a Fluid-Structure Interaction Coupling Tool for Supersonic Flow Regimes

Kurzfassung

The design of supersonic and hypersonic vehicles must account for extreme aerothermodynamic loads that can trigger complex Fluid-Thermal-Structural Interaction (FTSI) phenomena. These include flutter and thermal buckling, potentially leading to structural fatigue or even catastrophic failure. To predict such interactions, this work develops an efficient coupling tool and methodology using DLR’s Tau flow solver and Ansys Mechanical within the ATSI framework. The resulting tool aims to support the preparation and interpretation of future experimental campaigns. The methodology was validated using three benchmark cases of increasing complexity based on the canonical problem of shock impingement on a thin elastic panel. A first verification was carried out using a static deformation setup, highlighting both the correct implementation of the coupling tool and the importance of thermal effects. The second case, where dynamics were introduced, posed a stringent test to capture the expected stable Limit Cycle Oscillation (LCO) under the complete absence of dissipative mechanisms. A quasi-steady formulation was employed to improve efficiency, delivering accurate results. However, structural velocity effects, initially neglected due to limitations in the steady-state formulation of the Tau solver, were found to have a significant impact when incorporated through Enriched Piston Theory (EPT). Added structural damping showed similar improvements. The third case, based on a static and dynamic experimental configuration, exhibited higher uncertainty but maintained good agreement. Further improvements are anticipated by incorporating structural velocity effects in viscous configurations and conducting additional sensitivity studies on time-step refinement and structural modelling enhancements. The developed tool demonstrated strong predictive capabilities and good efficiency, establishing a robust foundation for future coupled studies. Further improvements are expected for the last configurations investigated as ongoing work continues.