Coupled RANS/LES for SOFIA Cavity Acoustic Prediction

A fast but accurate approach is described for the determination of the aero-acoustic properties of a large cavity at subsonic flight speeds. This approach employs a detachededdy simulation model in the free-shear layer at the cavity opening and the surrounding boundary layer, but assumes inviscid flow in the cavity and in the far field. The reduced gridding requirements in the cavity, in particular, lead to dramatic improvements in the time required for the computation. Results of these computations are validated against wind-tunnel data. This approach will permit significantly more flight test points to be evaluated computationally in support of the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy flight-test program being carried out at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center.