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Problems of Hypersonic Aerodynamics— A Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

R. J. Monaghan
R. J. Monaghan*
Affiliation:
Aerodynamics Department, Royal Aircraft Establishment
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Summary

Real gas effects are among the major complications of hypersonic flow and this is illustrated by examples of the temperatures and pressures attained when a flow is brought to rest. Once dissociation appears, these depend to a marked extent on the type of compression.

In designing for the alleviation of aerodynamic heating there are two distinct cases. The first is the uncontrolled re-entry of a freely falling body, for which it is best to have a shape with a high pressure drag. The second is sustained flight, for which a shape with low pressure drag could be better, radiation giving appreciable control of surface temperature.

Low pressure drag accords with design for aerodynamic efficiency and there is scope for research on three-dimensional lifting shapes. There is some discussion of this and also of the philosophy of securing maximum amounts of separated flow.

Finally, there is continual emphasis on the need for experimental research, since hypersonic flow fields may differ considerably from those that would be expected by extrapolation of conventional supersonic experience.

Type
Hypersonic Flow
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 63 , Issue 585 , September 1959 , pp. 489 - 492
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1959

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References

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