A study of the mesh effect on a rocket plume simulation

The use of reliable CFD models for the simulation of spacecraft launch is crucial due to the complexity of obtaining experimental data. The validity of the results depends on the numerical schemes used and the mesh. In this paper two CFD simulations of a supersonic jet have been conducted using OpenFOAM. Two different mesh types have been compared, hexaedral and polyhedral. Our calculations show that the former is more accurate and faster than the latter. Moreover, the minimum required element has been estimated to be 50 cells/diameter. •New simulation of a supersonic flow using RANS.•An optimal mesh and configuration has been obtained.•How-to simulate supersonic jets with OpenFOAM.