Colloquium: Vinicius Merlin Santos Costa (FPT)

The 'hammerhead fairing' (HHF) launcher configuration uses a payload fairing that has a larger diameter than the launch vehicle. However, the HHF leads to high aerodynamic forcing in the transonic regime called buffeting. If unaccounted for, buffeting can lead to launcher failure. The flow phenomena associated with buffeting were investigated on the Vega-E launcher using Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP). PSPs are a new flow measurement technique that allow for quantitative measurements of surface pressure levels in a non-intrusive manner with high spatial resolution. To study the Vega-E aerodynamics, PSPs were implemented for the first time in Delft. Validation measurements were done on a different HFF model and compared to historical data. After the validation, measurements were taken on the Vega-E launcher at different Mach numbers and angles of attack, to quantify the effects of each variable on the pressure field. Lastly, the impact of protuberances on the model was studied.

Supervisor: F.F.J. Schrijer