Computational Modelling for High Enthalpy Flows

Results from current CFD activities on hypersonic flows and related physico-chemical modelling studies at the German Aerospace Center, DLR are outlined. Different aspects and stages in the utilization of high enthalpy flow computations that consider chemical and thermal nonequilibrium effects will be discussed. These include the flow past simple configurations to study the sensitivity of the flow field computations to different physico-chemical models and the flow in high enthalpy ground based test facilities which are important for code validation and ground-to-flight extrapolation. Further, the three-dimensional flow over a complete reentry configuration has been studied to obtain about the aerodynamic coefficients plus local heat transfer maxima and a detailed investigation of a local flow phenomenon, the shock/shock interaction in front of a blunt body, has been performed