Correlation of Mathematical Model with AFRL RC-19 Aerothermoelastic Experiment Including an Impinging Shock

A computational nonlinear aeroelastic solver was used in combination with the Dynamically Linearized Time-domain Approach (DLTA) Reduced Order Model (ROM) to correlate results with the AFRL RC-9 supersonic wind tunnel measurement campaign. This study is part of the Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop (AePW), High-Speed Working Group (HSWG) campaign, and it explores the 4◦ wedge shock impinging on the elastic clamped panel. Two different CFD solvers are used as part of the DLTA implementation, and the differences seen in each case are discussed. A detailed study on the modeling of the static pressure differential is presented, comparing the performance of an inviscid and viscous CFD solver. The effect of the static temperature differential and the mesh discretization for the turbulence modeling is briefly presented, also correlating results with the experimental data. Moreover, an additional study with a finite element model (FEM) on the modeling of the in-plane boundary condition is undertaken, and the expected experimental range for this parameter is presented.