Hugo AZEMA, Alexandre BAS, Antoine ABAUZIT, Antoine BRISSAUD
DOI Number: N/A
Conference number: HiSST-2025-286
Hypersonic vehicles usually use initial boost systems leading to a high speed and dynamic pressure separation phase. Accurately replicating this separation phase through ground testing is very complex due to the significant mechanical and aerodynamic constraints. To minimize the number of real scale flight tests required to develop the separation solution, numerical simulations become essential. Using the work of Tartabini (2011) [1], MBDA France developed a numerical simulation tool called SPLITS (Simulation Physique de Largage InTer Solides) able to compute the trajectories of an arbitrary number of mechanically linked objects. By combining a precise and dense mesh of CFD computations and analytical solving of the stress at mechanical joints using CFE methodology, it enables precise evaluation of all solids’ relative kinematics during the separation phase. SPLITS was designed to be highly modular, with joints between solids potentially evolving during the simulation, reflecting loss of contact or breaking of an element. Moreover, the tool can monitor forces and moments at contact joints, helping engineers design a robust concept. From a more industrial point of view, modular-use in different projects is simplified with an unchanged simulation core. Only aerodynamics models and liaisons graph are to be updated using standard interfaces. Once the design has converged, SPLITS can also be used in ground test, reducing or deleting the aerodynamic wrench and adding elements to match the test configuration. The ground tests results can then be compared to dedicated numerical simulations, which helps validate and adjust the models before flight tests. Finally, in-flight measurements can be used to correct any remaining discrepancies between simulation and reality.