AERODYNAMIC IMPACT OF A SUPERSONIC PLUME AT GROUND USING RANS AND LES METHODOLOGIES

The interaction between a supersonic rocket plume and a launchpad deflector represents a complex and critical aspect of launch vehicle aerodynamics, with significant implications for both structural in- tegrity and acoustic performance. This work investigates the aerodynamic and thermal impact of a high- temperature supersonic jet impinging on an inclined deflector, using both Reynolds-Averaged Navier- Stokes (RANS) and Wall-Modeled Large Eddy Simulation (WMLES) approaches. The numerical setup replicates the steady-state plume of the M10 engine during the lift-off phase of the FD1 vehicle. A de- tailed thermodynamic treatment of the gas mixture is employed to capture realistic fluid behavior, while the STREAmS solver is used for the high-fidelity LES computations. A quantitative comparison between RANS and LES reveals a generally good agreement in the mean flow structure and temperature distribu- tion, with some quantitative differences emerging in the predicted surface heat flux on the deflector.