A new strategy for solving store separation problems using OpenFOAM

Abstract

The ability of OpenFOAM to solve the problem of a store separating from an air vehicle (store separation problem) has been evaluated using a dynamic mesh (Overset/Chimera) technique for an industry-class (transonic and generic) benchmark test case. The major limitations of the standard libraries have been determined. To tackle these challenges, a new strategy has been proposed and implemented using only open-source libraries and tools. The strategy combines porting, modifying, and adapting an overset library from the OpenFOAM fork platform (foam-extend) to the standard OpenFOAM platform (ESI). Furthermore, in order to overcome the well-known weakness of the standard OpenFOAM compressible solvers, the newly adapted overset library was integrated with an open-source, density-based, and coupled solver (HiSA), which uses the OpenFOAM technology. Additionally, a force restrained model was developed to consider the externally applied forces on the store by the store ejectors. The accuracy of the developed strategy has been compared with wind tunnel tests and the solutions of two well-known commercial codes, showing good agreements with them. While the study has focused on simulations with inviscid Euler equations (typical of the test case considered here), the viscosity effect on the solution has also been studied with Navier-Stokes equations and compared with other results in the literature, showing minor differences. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first work which studies and validates the store separation problem in transonic regime with OpenFOAM.