Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction in Hypersonic Flow over a Missile Configuration

Hypersonic flow over axisymmetric bodies with four evenly spaced fins was investigated computationally. The test conditions encompassed a freestream Mach number of 5.9 and Reynolds numbers based on body length of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], resulting in shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions in the presence of laminar–turbulent transition. The test article was the High-Speed Army Reference Vehicle, a set of generic configurations for research on missilelike bodies. Steady-flow computations employing the Menter Shear Stress Transport turbulence model and one-equation transition model were performed for angles of attack between 0.0 and 7.0-deg. The predicted heat flux was compared with experimental measurements obtained at Texas A&M University. As the angle of attack was increased, complex vortex interactions and shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions were observed in the region between the fins.