A parametric study on the aerodynamic characteristics of a hypersonic waverider vehicle

Hypersonic waverider vehicles with a high lift-to-drag ratio have drawn an ever increasing attention. In this paper, a parametric analysis method has been employed to investigate the effects of the angle of attack, angle of the sideslip and the inflow Mach number on the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle by numerically solving the governing fluid flow equations for the flow field around a hypersonic slender cone. The results obtained show that the flow field around the investigated hypersonic vehicle can satisfy the aerodynamic requirements of the vehicle. At larger angles of attack, the ratio of the lift-to-drag of the vehicle is higher among the range considered, and it will be advantageous for vehicles that cruise at smaller angles of attack. Changing the angle of the sideslip can have a significant impact on the lateral performance of the vehicle; however, its effects on the drag and lift of the vehicle are very limited. On increasing the inflow Mach number, the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle improves for the range of Mach numbers considered. This investigation provides researchers with guidelines for the optimization of the design of this class of vehicle.