Navier—stokes computations of hypersonic flows

The current interest in hypersonic flows is leading to significant effort both to develop CFD methods and also to provide experimental data for their evaluation. In our research we attempt to integrateCFDand experiments as closely as possible so much so that most of our experimental model designs are based upon preliminary flow field computations in order to identify likely regions of importance and distribute instrumentation as efficiently as possible. The experiments must also have the CFD requirements clearly in mind. In particular we consider it important to separate evaluation on the numerics (essentially the algorithm) from modelling of the physics (which includes the uncertainties of turbulence modelling) to this end our experiments include laminar studies, for both attached and separated flows,for which the physical equations are known exactly, as well as turbulent flow studies. This paper concentrates mainly on our CFD efforts and presents details of a high resolution solver for viscous flows together with their predictions for a range of problems which are the subject of our current and planned experiments.