Design of improving volumetric efficiency of waverider based on area rule

Abstract

Abstract In terms of waverider’s aerodynamic performance degradation due to the design of increasing volume in engineering, it’s a solution to improve the design operations referring to area rule. With theory analysis and numerical simulation, the application of supersonic area rule at hypersonic speed was studied; an improved shape modification method based on area rule was developed and validated. The research results could support the design of improving volumetric efficiency of waverider and showed as follows: Object is supposed to be slender enough to ensure supersonic area rule’s application accuracy at hypersonic speed, which indicates the challenge to apply supersonic area rule to practical hypersonic vehicle due to unsatisfactory geometrical character; referring to some scholars’ development of area rule at hypersonic speed, improved shape modification method based on transonic area rule was developed and the influence of object’s geometrical character on drag reduction at hypersonic speed was studied; Applying the improved shape modification method, the modified combination of volume body and waverider had the drag reduced by 4% and volume increased by 31%, volumetric efficiency increased by 5%.