Characterization of the Three-Dimensional Flowfield over a Truncated Linear Aerospike

The work focuses on the characterization of the flowfield over a truncated linear aerospike by combining theoretical grounds, numerical simulations and experimental tests. The experimental investigations are carried out on a test rig designed at Politecnico di Torino for advanced nozzle testing. Fully three-dimensional CFD analyses are performed on the actual geometry of the experimental nozzle model. At low nozzle pressure ratios (nprs) the analysis combines numerical simulations and experimental testing, which are also used for validating the CFD results. At higher nprs, the flowfield characterization is performed only by three-dimensional CFD analyses. In addition to the validation of the numerical method, the edge effects at different nprs have been observed.