Analysis of Navier-Stokes codes applied to Supersonic Retro-Propulsion wind tunnel test

This paper describes the pre-test analysis of three Navier-Stokes codes applied to a Supersonic Retro- Propulsion (SRP) wind tunnel test. Advancement of SRP as a technology hinges partially on the ability of computational methods to accurately predict vehicle aerodynamics during the SRP phase of atmospheric descent. A wind tunnel test at the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel was specifically designed to validate Navier-Stokes codes for SRP applications. The test consisted of a 5-inch diameter, 70-degree sphere-cone forebody with cylindrical afterbody, with four configurations spanning 0 to 4 jets. Test data include surface pressure (including high-frequency response), flowfield imagery, and internal pressure and temperature measurements. Three computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes (DPLR, FUN3D, and OVERFLOW) are exercised for both single and multiple-nozzle configurations for a range of Mach (M) numbers and thrust coefficients. Comparisons to test data will be used to evaluate accuracy, identify modeling shortcomings, and gain insight into the computational requirements necessary for computing these complex flows.