Numerical investigation of an active TPS for a wing leading edge exposed to high temperature air behind a strong bow shock wave

Abstract

An array of subsonic counter-flow jets is studied as an active thermal protection system (TPS) for wing leading edges of hypersonic vehicles. The performance is numerically estimated in the model case of a circular cylinder on the basis of the 2D compressible Navier-Stokes equations. In contrast to a single subsonic jet, an array of jets is robust against variation of the angle of attack; high cooling effectiveness is confirmed up to 5° variation. The coolant gas (air) discharged from channels embedded in the cylinder covers over a wide range of the front surface of the cylinder. The feasibility of the active TPS is also discussed.