Nitric oxide chemistry effects in hypersonic boundary layers

Abstract

Simulations of gas seeding into a hypersonic boundary layer flow to investigate and quantify errors associated with quantitative planar laser induced fluorescence thermometry and velocimetry techniques were performed using OpenFOAM. The compressible rhoCentralFoam solver was modified to include multiple species transport and chemical reactions. Simulations replicated conditions used in NASA Langley's 31" Mach 10 facility with a wedge model oriented at various angles of attack with respect to the freestream flow in the test section. OpenFOAM predictions were compared to ANSYS Fluent v6.3 simulation results. The wedge angle of attack was varied in the simulations. Adverse chemistry effects from the reaction of nitric oxide with molecular oxygen were investigated at various facility running conditions. Specifically, the effect of heat release on velocity and temperature profiles that would be obtained using the non-intrusive laser measurement techniques was assessed.