HyperCODA: Validation for hypersonic flight flow simulations of a reentry vehicle

Abstract

Accurate prediction of hypersonic flow over reusable space vehicles requires high-fidelity CFD solvers capable of resolving multi-species chemistry, high-enthalpy nonequilibrium effects, and complex three-dimensional interactions. This work presents a systematic validation of HyperCODA, a modular CFD code spacecraft extension, for industry-relevant three-dimensional re-entry configurations by performing code-to-code comparisons against DLR’s TAU solver. The work stems from a collaboration with the Aerospace engineering department of the University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli. The analyzed geometry is a blended-wing-body vehicle flying at two points along the re-entry trajectory, covering frozen and reacting chemical regimes. All trajectory points are computed using RANS equations with the Spalart–Allmaras model in the negative formulation and identical thermochemical assumptions where applicable, enabling a controlled code-to-code comparison. The results demonstrate close agreement between HyperCODA and TAU in global shock topology, stagnation-line profiles, and vortex-dominated flow structures, with discrepancies primarily arising from differences in spatial discretization and boundary condition imposition. In addition, the heat flux presents sever effects around the nose and the wing area due to intrinsic geometric characteristics. An analysis of such effects is presented for both codes.