Fluid mechanics of a Mach 7-12, electron-beam driven, missile-scale hypersonic wind tunnel: Modeling and predictions Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • Models of increasing complexity have been developed for the design and simulation of the axisymmetric inviscid fluid mechanics and energy addition of an electron-beam driven hypersonic wind tunnel for missile-scale testing and development. The principal target has been a Mach-12 capability at altitudes of approximately 25 km and above with a test section of 1.3 m. Also, results for lower Mach numbers at lower altitudes down to Mach-7 at 2 km have been obtained. The fully coupled e-beam and Euler flow simulation shows that with a magnetically guided, 3 MeV e-beam and a nozzle geometry determined from the solution to an optimization problem, shock waves can be eliminated notwithstanding the very high radiative power (200 MW) that is deposited into the core flow (away from the boundary layer). While there remain many issues to be resolved, we have not yet found an intrinsic problem with either the concept or its application to such long run time, missile-scale, facilities.

published proceedings

  • PHYSICS OF FLUIDS

author list (cited authors)

  • Girgis, I. G., Brown, G. L., Miles, R. B., & Lipinski, R. J.

citation count

  • 9

complete list of authors

  • Girgis, IG||Brown, GL||Miles, RB||Lipinski, RJ

publication date

  • November 2002