ABSTRACT Mitigating aerodynamic heating while reducing drag is a critical challenge in the development of high‐speed vehicles. A modified aerospike (MAS) configuration integrating a flat spike with stepped‐ramp geometries is proposed to improve the aerodynamic performance of blunt‐nosed bodies. Two‐dimensional axisymmetric simulations were performed by solving the Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations with the SST k – ω turbulence model at Mach 2.23, zero angle of attack, static pressure of 28,554.2 Pa, and free stream temperature of 300 K. Grid independence and validation against available experimental and computational results established the reliability of the numerical framework. Comparative analysis revealed that stepped‐ramp aerospikes significantly outperformed conventional aerospike designs. The three‐stepped configuration (MAS1) achieved a drag reduction of approximately 39%, while the four‐stepped configuration (MAS2) provided the maximum reduction of nearly 47% relative to the baseline blunt body and up to 30% compared to a conventional aerospike. Thermal analysis showed a marked decrease in surface heat flux on the aft section, enhancing thermal protection and reducing material degradation risks. The results demonstrate that stepped‐ramp aerospikes effectively control shock–boundary layer interactions, reduce both pressure drag and aerodynamic heating, and offer a promising solution for integration into next generation supersonic vehicle designs.
Vijay et al. (Thu,) studied this question.