Supersonic space shuttle
Download mesh
Download simulation
Introduction
This is an example of a steady-state compressible supersonic flow using a density-based solver.
The computational conditions are as follows
- solver : TSLAeroFoam
- turbulence model : $SST$ $k-omega$
- Mach number : 3
- Anglf of Attack : 15 degree
- farfield pressure : 100000 Pa
- farfield temperature : 288 K
Start BaramFlow and load mesh
Run the program and select ‘New Case’ from the launcher. In the launcher, select [Density-based] for [Solver Type].
Use the given polyMesh folder. In the top tab, click [File]-[Load Mesh]-[OpenFOAM] in that order and select the polyMesh folder.

launcher

General
Set [Operating Conditions] as 0.
Models
For this example, we’ll use $SST$ $k-omega$ model for turbulence.
Materials
Set Density as Perfect Gas, Viscosity as Sutherland.
Boundary Conditions
Set the boundary type and values as shown below.
- spaceShuttle
- Wall – No slip, adiabatic
- maxy
- symmetry
- minx, maxx, miny, minz, maxz
- Far-Field Riemann
- Flow Direction : direction for AOA 15, (0.965926, 0, 0.258819)
- Mach Number : 3
- Static Pressure : 100000
- Static Temperature : 288
- Turbulence : intensity and viscosity ratio(0.1 and 1)

farfield Riemann condition
Reference Values
Set values as follows
- Area, Length : 1
- Density : 1.2097(farfield condition)
- Pressure : 100000(farfield condition)
- Velocity : 1020.5933(farfield condition)
Numerical Conditions
Set [Formulation] as [Implicit], [Flux Type] as [Roe-FDS] and [Entropy Fix Coefficient] as 0.5.
Set [Discretization Schemes] as [Second Order Upwind] for Flow and Turbulence.
Set [Convergence Criteria]-[Density] as 1e-5.

Numerical Conditions
Monitor
Select [Add]-[Forces] and set values as follows
- Lift Direction : (-0.258819, 0, 0.965926)
- Drag Direction : (0.965926, 0, 0.258819)
- Boundaries : spaceShuttle
Initialization
Enter the value and click the Initialize button at the bottom. Then click the [File]-[Save] menu to save the case file.
- Velocity : (985.817, 0, 264.149)
- Pressure : 100000
- Temperature : 288
- Turbulence
- Scale of Velocity : 1020.5933
- Turbulent Intensity : 0.1
- Turbulent Viscosity Ratio : 1
Run
Change the values as shown below, and click [Start Calculation] button.
- Number of Iterations : 3000
- Courant Number : 0.1
- Save Interval : 500
For supersonic flows, starting with a high Courant Number often results in divergence, so starting with a small value and increasing it gradually as the calculation stabilizes can speed up convergence. During the calculation, you can modify the value in [Run Condition] and press the [Update Configuration] button in [Run] to apply it. In this example, we started with 0.1 and increased the value to 1 at around 400 iterations and then to 100 at around 700 iterations.

Post-processing
Click the parview button in [External tools] to open the paraview.
Change [Coloring] to p.
