Numerical simulations are used to study the aerodynamic inlet properties of three axisymmetric configurations of laser‐propelled Lightcraft vehicles operating at subsonic, transonic and supersonic speeds up to Mach 5. The 60 cm vehicles were sized for launching 0.1–1.0 kg nanosatellites with combined‐cycle airbreathing/rocket engines, transitioning between propulsion modes at roughly Mach 5–6. Results provide the pressure, temperature, density, and velocity flowfields around and through the three representative vehicle/engine configurations, as well as giving the resulting ram drag and total drag coefficients—all as a function of flight Mach number. Simulations with rotating boundaries were also carried out, since for stability reasons, Lightcraft are normally spun up before lift‐off. Given the three alternatives, it is demonstrated that the optimal geometry for minimum drag is the configuration with a parabola nose; hence, these inlet flow conditions are being applied in subsequent “direct connect” 2D laser propulsion experiments in a small transonic flow facility.


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    Titel :

    Inlet Aerodynamics and Ram Drag of Laser‐Propelled Lightcraft Vehicles


    Beteiligte:
    Langener, Tobias (Autor:in) / Myrabo, Leik (Autor:in) / Rusak, Zvi (Autor:in) / Phipps, Claude (Herausgeber:in) / Komurasaki, Kimiya (Herausgeber:in) / Sinko, John (Herausgeber:in)

    Kongress:

    BEAMED ENERGY PROPULSION: 6th International Symposium ; 2009 ; Scottsdale (Arizona)


    Erschienen in:

    AIP Conference Proceedings ; 1230 , 1 ; 41-60


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    06.05.2010


    Format / Umfang :

    20 pages





    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Konferenz)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch



    Inlet Aerodynamics and Ram-Drag of Laser-Propelled Lightcraft Vehicles

    Langener, Tobias / Myrabo, Leik / Rusak, Zvi | AIAA | 2009


    Inlet Aerodynamics and Ram Drag of Laser-propelled Lightcraft Vehicles

    Langener, T. / Myrabo, L.N. / Rusak, Z. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2010