Multi-Scale Modeling of Hypersonic Gas Flow

Abstract

On March 27, 2004, NASA successfully flew the X-43A hypersonic test flight vehicle at a velocity of 5000 mph to break the aeronautics speed record that had stood for over 35 years. The final flight of the X-43A on November 16, 2004 further increased the speed record to 6,600 mph which is almost ten times the speed of sound. The very high speed attainable by hypersonic airplanes could revolutionize air travel by dramatically reducing inter-continental flight times. For example, a hypersonic flight from New York to Sydney, Australia, a distance of 10,000 miles, would take less than 2 h. Reusable hypersonic vehicles are also being researched to significantly reduce the cost of access to space. Computer modeling of the gas flows around hypersonic vehicles will play a critical part in their development. This article discusses the conditions that can prevail in certain hypersonic gas flows that require a multi-scale modeling approach.