Rans Transition Model Predictions on Hypersonic Three-Dimensional Forebody Configuration

Abstract

Future space transportation systems will heavily rely on predicting and understanding Boundary Layer Transition (BLT) during atmospheric entry, especially in the hypersonic phase. Several transition models compatible with RANS solvers have been proposed. However, the majority of them have been developed for low-speed flows, and attempts to extrapolate them to the hypersonic regime are documented in only a limited number of studies, specifically focusing on simplified geometries.This paper focuses on evaluating prediction capabilities for such models on complex 3D geometries int he hypersonic regime, using the International Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT) Flight Experiment as a test case.