The Influence of a Retro-Propulsion Plume on Vehicle Aerodynamics and Aeroheating during Hypersonic Re-Entry

Abstract: This paper investigates the aerodynamic and aeroheating effects on a re-usable launch vehicle during hypersonic re-entry, focusing on the transition from high-altitude glide to powered descent. Using the RFZ model, an open-source research geometry for reusable launch vehicles, the numerical analysis revealed a significant influence of the plume on aerodynamic coefficients and surface heating. Plume-on and plume-off scenarios were tested at two angles of attack (0 and 9). The plume-off cases showed that drag was predominantly attributed to high pressure on the baseplate and nozzle surfaces. This aligns with results from literature for a cylinder immersed in an axial flow. The plume-on cases demonstrated that plume shielding reduced total axial force coefficient and significantly decreased heat transfer to the baseplate. Future work will investigate other trajectory points during powered descent, as well as supplementary angles of attack. Keywords: Keywords:, Hypersonics, Retropropulsion, Reusable Launch Vehicles, CFD, Plume-plume interaction, RANS