Towards an automated toolset for mesh adapted Navier–Stokes simulation of hypersonic vehicles

A fully automated CAD-to-post toolset for Navier–Stokes and Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations of high speed vehicles flow is presented. The toolset combines the vertex-centered SoNICS solver with anisotropic mesh adaptation based on the REFINE toolbox, eliminating manual meshing and enabling efficient, parallelized simulations from CAD input to converged solutions. The tool is validated on open cases representative of the complexity of the flow encountered around high-speed vehicles including reentry and airbreathing cruise vehicles. This includes complex three-dimensional forebody laminar simulations and axisymmetric triconic cases. For the internal aerodynamics part, given the lack of proper validation references, a direct numerical simulation of the internal conduit of a generic dual mode ramjet air intake is conducted and compared to legacy RANS simulation and mesh-adapted RANS simulation. A demonstration on a full scramjet-powered cruise vehicle then highlights the toolset’s scalability and adaptability to industrial applications. The automated workflow reduces setup time and human error, making it a valuable asset for hypersonic vehicle design and optimization.