Numerical Simulation of a Generic Rocket Base Flow with Plume in a Supersonic Environment

Abstract

The numerical investigation is based on three detached eddy simulations. Similar to the experiments one simulation is performed for the configuration with a closed nozzle exit. The second one includes the nozzle flow and the interaction of the plume with the base flow. A third simulation with a refined resolution of the region where the nozzle shear layer expanded has been started to address the deviation of the numerically nearly steady expansion of the plume to the experimentally observed unsteadiness of the plume. Due to the ongoing calculations the focus of the discussion is on the mean values in comparison to respective experimental results. Good agreement is achieved for the position of the recompression shock in the base flow without plume and for Pitot pressure profiles taken at the edge of the base and in the plume. The influence of the support on the boundary layer of the model is well captured. The nozzle flow and the expansion of the plume are reproduced within the accuracy of the measurements.