Project Description

This project examines the aerodynamic characteristics of the Javelin missile tail fin assembly by systematically varying fin count and geometric dimensions within ANSYS Discovery's real-time parametric CFD environment. Using History Tracking, key fin parameters including span, chord length, and number of fins are defined as live design variables, allowing instantaneous observation of their combined influence on drag, lift, and flow stability without manual solver interruption.

Objectives

The goal of this project is to systematically investigate how tail fin configuration  specifically fin count, span, and chord length  affects the external aerodynamics of the Javelin missile by defining these variables as live parameters within ANSYS Discovery's real-time simulation environment. Through continuous geometric variation, the study captures instantaneous changes in drag force, lateral flow behavior, and pressure distribution along the missile body, enabling a direct performance comparison across multiple fin arrangements without the overhead of conventional CFD preprocessing.

Results and Discussion

The CFD simulations in ANSYS Discovery demonstrated a clear relationship between tail fin configuration and the Aerodynamic Performance of the Javelin missile. Higher fin counts produced more symmetric pressure distribution and reduced wake instability, while larger individual fins introduced greater leading-edge drag but enhanced stabilizing moments at supersonic speeds. The parametric chord and span variations revealed an optimal mid-range configuration balancing drag minimization with sufficient aerodynamic stability, and the History Tracking workflow ensured consistent domain conditions across all design iterations, confirming Discovery's effectiveness as a rapid fin configuration screening tool.