Numerical study of non‐equilibrium weakly ionized air flow past blunt bodies

Abstract

Purpose

To compute the Navier‐Stokes equations of a non‐equilibrium weakly ionized air flow. This can help to have a better description of the flow‐field and the wall heat transfer in hypersonic conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

The numerical approach is based on a multi block finite volume method and using a Riemann's solver based on a MUSCL‐TVD algorithm. In the flux splitting procedure the modified speed of sound, due to the electronic mode, is implemented.

Findings

A good description of the shock standoff distance, of the wall heat fluxes and of the peak of electron density number in the shock layer.

Research limitations/implications

The radiative effects are not included in this paper. For the very high Mach numbers, this can modify the shock layer parameters.

Practical implications

The knowledge of the wall heat transfer in the re‐entry body problems.

Originality/value

The building of a robust numerical code in order to well describe hypersonic air flow in high Mach numbers.

Citation

Tchuen, G., Burtschell, Y. and Zeitoun, D.E. (2005), "Numerical study of non‐equilibrium weakly ionized air flow past blunt bodies", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 588-610. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615530510601477