A Numerical Investigation into Transonic Flight on Mars Utilizing a 2-D URANS Approach

A Numerical Investigation into Transonic Flight on Mars Utilizing a 2-D URANS Approach

Westheim, Michael (TU Delft Aerospace Engineering)

Schmehl, R. (mentor)
Avallone, F. (graduation committee)
Michelis, Theodorus (graduation committee)
Kotsonis, M. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Aerospace Engineering

2022-03-18

Interest in powered flight on Mars has been growing in recent years, and as such new developments are being made in determining the effects the Martian atmosphere has on the flow physics and performance, specifically with regards to similarity parameters: the Reynolds number & the Mach number. This paper aimed to investigate whether the onset of transonic flight could result in decreased separation while improving aerodynamic performance due to the presence of a smeared shock. 2-D URANS simulations of a NACA-0012-34 airfoil were conducted with a SST k-w, y-intermittency model. The results find that an expansion fan delays separation, while the smeared shock weakens the adverse pressure gradient, similar to a shock control bump. The result is a minute increase in the lift-to-drag performance. The development of coherent structures within the separated shear-layer have also been seen to be impacted due to the stabilizing effect of compressibility on the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

transonic flow
Mars
shock wave
Shock wave boundary layer interaction
Low Reynolds number
naca0012
laminar
compressibility
High Mach number
aerodynamic performance
Laminar-turbulent transition
vortex shedding
CO2
Carbon dioxide

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:eaa52320-0035-4c27-88b1-c44d7b26b855

Student theses

master thesis

© 2022 Michael Westheim