Comparative Analysis of Low and High Fidelity Fluid-Solid Interaction Simulations for Hypersonic Vehicle Control Surfaces

Designing control surfaces and optimizing their weight are crucial aspects in the development of hypersonic vehicles. Achieving the right balance between structural integrity and minimal mass is essential to enhance performance, maneuverability, and efficiency at extremely high speeds. Fluid-solid interaction (FSI) simulations play an important role in every stage of the design process, providing invaluable insights into the behavior of the vehicle under extreme operating conditions. These simulations, embracing both low- and high-fidelity approaches, enrich the design process significantly. This study compares low- and high-fidelity FSI simulation methodologies for hypersonic vehicle control surfaces. The objective of this paper is to assess the performance, accuracy, and computational efficiency of each approach in predicting the complex interactions between fluid flow and structural responses under hypersonic conditions. An experimental test case from the literature is used to conduct a comparative examination of applied simulation methodologies.