Three-Dimensional Boundary-Layer Flow About an Ablating Slender Cone

Abstract

A theoretical analysis is presented for three-dimensional laminar boundary-layer flow about slender conical vehicles including the effect of transverse surface curvature. The boundary-layer equations are solved by standard finite difference techniques. Numerical results are presented for hypersonic flow about a slender blunted cone. The influences of Reynolds number, cone angle, and mass transfer are studied for both symmetric flight and at angle-of-attack. The effects of transverse curvature are substantial at the low Reynolds numbers considered and are enhanced by blowing. The crossflow wall shear is largely unaffected by transverse curvature although the peak velocity is reduced. A simplified “channel flow” analogy is suggested for the crossflow near the wall.