Creation of steering moments in supersonic flow by off-axis plasma heat addition

Abstract

In this paper, the change in aerodynamic forces as a result of local heat addition, upstream of a cone, to supersonic flow (Mach 3.0) is studied numerically. In principle, such an effect on the forces and moments can be used for vehicle steering as well as drag reduction. Local energy addition to the flow is achieved by the use of microwave radiation as a heating source and an electron beam to control the air conductivity and consequently the location of the energy deposition. Since steering creation requires heating in a localized pre-ionized region, the strength of the microwave field has to be much lower than the critical value of the electric field at breakdown. Results show the potential effects of heat addition on the aerodynamic forces. The corresponding power and the optimized location require d to achieve these effects are discussed. 1. Introduction