Inviscid hypersonic flow past smooth symmetric bodies

Abstract

A simple invei se method is presented for computing the entire in viscid flow field in the shock layer enveloping a sufficiently smooth axisymmetric or planar body moving at hypersonic speed The method is inverse and involves the solution in a Von Mises plane using the stream function and distance along the shock as independent variables A simple, accurate approximation to the lateral momentum equation permits the solution to proceed numerically by quadrature A straightfoi ward application to nonequilibrium flow is discussed Numerical examples are compared with more exact results in the subsonic and transonic regions and with both the method of charactei istics and with the hypersonic small disturbance i esults farther back Agreement is excellent A final example solves accurately, and without undue effort, a direct problem