Towards trajectory control of a supersonic projectile using laser energy deposition

Experiments were performed within Rutgers University’s supersonic wind tunnel to investigate the effects of laser energy deposition on the flow field around an ogive-cylinder. The goal of this work was to quantify the ability of laser energy deposition to achieve appreciable alteration of the aerodynamic loading about the ogive-cylinder. For these tests, perturbation of the flow was achieved using a 200 mJ/pulse Nd:YAG laser to generate a spark near the ogive-cylinder. Visualization of the global flow field was accomplished using high-speed shad-owgraph imaging, which verified the formation of a spark and the classically defined toroidal vortex structure. Furthermore, high-speed shadowgraph visualized the passage of the spark across the ogive-cylinder shock structure, where lensing of the shock was observable. In addition to these qualitative tests, quantitative measurements are presented using a six-component load sensor to quantify the influence of the spark on the aerodynamic loading of the ogive-cylinder. Preliminary results showed induced changes to the ogive-cylinder’s axial and normal forces.