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Comparison of numerical and experimental drag measurement in hypervelocity flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

A. L. Smith ,
I. A. Johnston  and
K. J. Austin
A. L. Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
I. A. Johnston
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
K. J. Austin
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical EngineeringThe University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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Extract

In planning interplanetary missions which involve an aerobraking manoeuvre, it is necessary to make accurate predictions of the aerodynamic drag acting on a vehicle during its descent. Of interest to the authors is the Nasa initiative for exploration of Mars and its atmosphere. The Mars Pathfinder is a probe that is expected to enter the Martian atmosphere at a relative velocity of approximately 7.6 kms-1;. The forebody of this vehicle is based on a 70° blunted cone and is typical of aerobraking designs.

In this note, a comparison is made between experimental and numerical techniques for predicting drag in hypervelocity flow. Three different models were examined in this study: a 30° sharp cone; an Apollo heat shield; and a Viking heat shield. A relatively simple analytical result for the drag on a cone provides a convenient reference for both the experimental and numerical results. The two heat shields are typical of those used for interplanetary exploration, such as the Mars Pathfinder. Our aim is to give an example of how computational fluid dynamics can be used in conjunction with experiments to obtain information about the hypervelocity flow about re-entry vehicles.

Type
Technical Note
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 100 , Issue 999 , November 1996 , pp. 385 - 388
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1996 

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