Time-accurate aerodynamic modeling of synthetic jets for projectile control

This paper describes a computational study undertaken to determine the aerodynamic effect of tiny unsteady synthetic jets as a means to provide the control authority needed to maneuver a spinning projectile at low subsonic speeds. Advanced Navier-Stokes computational techniques have been developed and used to obtain numerical solutions for the unsteady jet-interaction flow field at subsonic speeds and small angles of attack. Unsteady numerical results show the effect of the jet on the flow field and on the aerodynamic coefficients. The unsteady jet is shown to substantially alter the flow field both near the jet and the base region of the projectile that in turn affects the forces and moments even at zero degree angle of attack. The results have shown the potential of computational fluid dynamics to provide insight into the jet interaction flow fields and provided guidance as to the locations and sizes of the jets to generate the maximum control authority to maneuver a projectile to hit its target with precision.