Hypersonic Aerodynamics is a branch of science that studies the hypersonic air flow law and the interaction between air and hypersonic vehicles. In general, a Mach number larger than 5 can be viewed as the mark of hypersonic flow from the engineering point, but strictly speaking, hypersonic flow means the flow characteristic which describes increasing importance of some physical phenomena when the vehicle flight Mach number increases. It includes nonlinear hydrodynamic characteristics caused by high flow Mach number, and high temperature physicochemical characteristics because of great flow energy.

CARDC is devoted to continuously improving its research ability on hypersonic aerodynamics. After decades of development, it has possessed the following capabilities: Aerodynamic test and computational capability of Mach 3-24, simulated altitude 0-100km; aerothermal test and computational capability of Mach 6-24, simulated altitude 10-100km; free flight test technology with the maximum launching speed of 6.5km/s and research capability of hypervelocity impact and space debris protection; computational analysis capability of the effect of hypervelocity vehicle field, optical radiation, electromagnetic scattering and plasma pump to electromagnetic wave transfer; computational capability of unified algorithm, ground/flight correlation, scale effect, Reynolds number effect conversion from continuous flow to rarefied flow; the capability to design and develop various hypersonic test facilities. With the three main research methods which are theoretical analysis and numerical calculation, ground simulating test and model flight test, CARDC has obtained several research achievements, built a complete test facility system of hypersonic aerodynamics, and made great contributions to the development of flight vehicles.

Research Fields 

1. Hypersonic Aerodynamic force Test and Research

2. Hypersonic aerothermodynamic Test and Research

3. Qualification and Evaluation Research on Thermal Protection Materials /Structures

4. Mechanism Research and application across different flow regions

5. Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation of rarefied gas dynamics

6. Experimental Research of Aero-physics experiment

7. Design and development of Hypersonic test facility