Abstract
The projectile afterbodies for zero-lift drag reduction has been analyzed using the Navier-Stokes equations with the $\kappa-\epsilon$ turbulence model. The numerical method of a second order upwind scheme has been used on unstructured adaptive meshes. Base drag reduction methods that have been found effective on axisymmetric bodies include boattailing, base bleed, base comustion, locked vortex afterbodies and multistep afterbodies. In this paper, the charateristics of turbulence flow have been studied for geomeries of multistep afterbodies. The important geometrical and flow parameters relevant to the design of such afterbodies have been identified by number, length and height of step. The flow over multistep afterbodies has been analyzed including expansion waves, recompression waves, recirculating flow, shear flow and wake flow. The numerical results have been compared and analyzed with the experimental datum.
