Numerical investigation of self-aligning spiked bodies at hypersonic speeds

The conventional fixed spike method, in which the spike is mounted with an alignment along the body-axis, always failed at relatively high angles of attack; therefore, a new self-aligning spike method is investigated in the present paper. This method is applied to 3D axi-symmetrical blunt cone and compressed wedge configurations at hypersonic speeds. Numerical simulations are carried out to verify this new concept. Spiked geometries with different L/D parameters at angle of attack ranged from 0 to 12 degrees are investigated. Numerical results reveal that the self-aligning spike method has great capability in drag and heat reduction as compared with the conventional fixed spikes. It can still effectively work even at relatively large angles of attack. This new method can resolve the problem that encountered by the conventional spike method.