On the Use of Bi-species ZDES for Multi-nozzle Space Launcher Configurations

Abstract

Space launchers experience high fluctuating pressure levels during the ascent (for both expendable and reusable launch vehicles) and return phases (for reusable launch vehicles only). To simulate the fluctuating pressure field occurring on such configurations accurately, a numerical workflow combining ZDES Mode 2 (2020) and a hybrid scheme ensuring robustness in shock wave regions and low dissipation levels in vortical regions is used in the framework of bi-species inert flows. The assessment of the performance of this numerical strategy is based on the simulation of a four-nozzle launcher model previously studied experimentally by Musial and Ward [1]. A comparison of pressure coefficients shows that ZDES gives an improvement in the capability of predicting the base pressure over standard RANS models. Spectral analysis of the fluctuating pressure at the wall shows that the flow is dominated by the antisymmetric mode m = 1 contributing to up to 80% of the energy at a dimensionless frequency StD = 0.2.