CFD modeling of supersonic airflow generated by 2D nozzle with and without an obstacle at the exit section

Abstract

Computational modeling of complex supersonic airflow patterns is one of the greatest challenges in the domain of CFD analyses. The paper presents initial steps in numerical analysis of such flow, generated by convergentdivergent nozzle with Mach number M = 2.6 at nozzle exit. The aim was to achieve good agreements with available experimental data, obtained during supersonic wind tunnel tests at VTI Žarkovo institute, where nozzle thrust vectoring possibilities had been investigated using air as test fluid, by placing different types of obstacles at the exit section. Paper is focussed on free exit flow, and flow with one selected obstacle type. Using structured mesh for both cases, the RANS equations with k-ω SST turbulent model have been applied. After quantitative and qualitative comparisons with available experimental data, good agreements have been obtained, where CFD was also able to provide additional flowfield data, not measuted during experiments.