NUMERICAL AEROTHERMAL ANALYSIS OF A HYPERSONIC MISSILE AT VARIOUS MACH NUMBERS

Abstract

Hypersonic Missiles are the type of missiles which are regarded as the fastest in the world, and they are currently being researched and developed in various regions of the world. It works with Mach numbers greater than 5. In this study, we examine the behavior of hypersonic missiles operating at a specific height under various flow field conditions at Mach numbers 5, 7, and 10, as well as the behavior of heat transfer loads on the hyperbolic profile structure. The flow architecture and behavior of shock waves are being numerically simulated. This study contributes to an understanding of the design considerations for hypersonic missiles operating at various heights and atmospheric conditions and it will also help in thermal designing of hypersonic vehicles so that proper thermal management can be designed. The results indicate distinct relationship between the Mach number and the thermal and aerodynamic characteristics at the nose tip and along the body. It is evident that as the Mach number increases from 5 to 10, the intensity of the Mach number decrease near the nose tip becomes more pronounced, leading to increased thermal loads on the missile. The data presented highlights that at Mach number 5, the nose tip temperature reaches approximately 2,000 K, while increasing the Mach number to 10 raises the peak temperature to around 2,300 K. However, the temperature decreases more gradually with length at Mach number 10 compared to Mach number 5 and 7. This suggests that although higher Mach numbers result in more nose tip temperatures, the rate of temperature decrease along the body is not proportional to the Mach number increase, warranting further investigation into the thermal protection requirements for missiles operating at these speeds.