A numerical study on aerothermodynamic performances of a waverider based vehicle

Numerical simulations were performed on a waverider based vehicle using multi-block grids and parallel computing technique. The effects of blunted leading edge with small radius upon the vehicle aerodynamics were studied, and thermal flux distribution on the vehicle surface was computed. The numerical results indicate that the blunted leading edge has limited effect on the lift of the vehicle, but has great influences on the drag and lift-drag ratio. It is found that, for a blunted leading edge with a radius of curvature of 1cm, the drop in lifting force is less than 1%, while the increase in drag and the reduction of lift-drag ratio are found to be 6.96% and 7.21%, respectively, as compared to the original vehicle with sharp leading edge. The vehicle is capable of maintaining the nice aerodynamic performances after the leading edge is blunted, the forebody can still provide uniform inlet flow for the engine, and the whole airframe inherits the waverider characteristics constantly. The peak of the heat flux appears at the leading edge, and an active cooling system will be required to handle the aeroheating.