Aerothermodynamic behaviour of a generic nosecap model including thermomechanical structural effects

For a generic nosecap model in hypersonic flow, coupled simulations for aerothermodynamic and structure have been performed. In a first step the characterisation of the thermochernically frozen flow around the model in the arc heated facility was done using nonequilibrium modelling, followed by thermally and thermomechanically coupled analyses of the 2D configuration. The physical effects of heat conduction inside the structure and thermomechanically driven deformations including the interactions could reproduce the experimental data. Studies for geometrical modifications of the nose region, 3D investigations and step-configurations at the generic model have been carried out. Finally, the unsteady temperature behaviour of the model being injected in an arc heated facility was simulated and showed good agreement with the temporal temperature behaviour during the experimental tests. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.