Viscous shock layer analysis of the Martian aerothermal environment
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Gupta, R. N.↗
Engineering topics
Sutton, K.
Publications and source records attributed to Sutton, K..
A viscous-shock-layer analysis of the Martian aerothermal environment
Surface heating and flow field results for the stagnation region of a planetary exploration vehicle entering the Martian atmosphere are presented. Solutions for the high-energy viscous flow fields with complete radiative heating are derived from a viscous-shock-layer analysis for laminar flow under chemical equilibrium conditions. Results are shown with and without coupled radiation ablation injection utilizing the recently developed curve fits for the transport and thermodynamic properties of Martian atmospheric and ablation species. This analysis includes a strongly absorbing boundary layer and, therefore, gives much lower radiative heat transfer rates than those obtained from inviscid analyses.
Gupta, R. N.↗
Stagnation-point radiative heating relations for earth and Mars entries
Stagnation-point radiative heating rate expressions are presented for use in air and an approximate Martian atmosphere consisting of 97 percent CO2 and 3 percent N2. Thermochemical equilibrium is assumed throughout. The flight conditions and body dimensions that are modeled are representative of both manned and unmanned missions to Mars and return to earth. Comparisons between the heating rates computed using the expressions presented here and independent computations yielded maximum differences of about 20 to 30 percent.
Tauber, M. E.↗
Report of the Technology and Test Panel
The state of technology relative to the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) was reviewed. The technology areas which could benefit from the TSS were defined. To support TSS design studies it is necessary to develop tether dynamic model computer codes for definition of mission and tether requirements. Present major codes are very elaborate, expensive to run, and not very user friendly. An additional technology concern was related to the manufacturing of tethers. The development of complex tethers (nonconducting-taper/double taper long 100 km, conducting-embedded conduction, fiber optics, and superconducting) and their applications to space stations requires the development of manufacturing capabilities for both Earth-based as well as space-based systems.
Siemers, P.↗
Air radiation revisited
The experimental data for air radiation from ground-based experiments and from the Fire II and Apollo 4 flights have been reviewed and compared with a single prediction method. The ground-based data agree generally with the trends predicted by the present calculations, but differences of a factor of two are noted. The flight data from Fire II and Apollo 4 are in good agreement with the present calculations with differences of less than 50 percent.
Sutton, K.↗
Relations for the thermodynamic and transport properties in the testing environment of the Langley hypersonic CF4 tunnel
Thermodynamic and transport properties of gaseous CF4 that can be used in flow field computer codes and theoretical analyses for comparison of results with experimental data from the Langley Hypersonic CF4 Tunnel are presented. The thermodynamic relations which are based on thermally perfect but calorifically imperfect gas are adequate for the testing environment of the CF4 tunnel and are simpler to use than the imperfect gas relations required to define the complete expansion from the tunnel reservoir. Relations for the transport properties are based on the kinetic theory of gases in which published experimental data are used in the derivation of the relations. Extensive experimental data were located for viscosity and the derived relation should provide values for viscosity with errors of less than 1 percent. The experimental data for thermal conductivity were limited with significant disagreement between the various sources. The derived relation will probably provide values for the thermal conductivity with errors of no more than 5 percent which is within the accuracy of the experimental data.
Sutton, K.↗
Thermal conductivity of partially ionized gas mixtures
A method is proposed for predicting the translational component of the thermal conductivity of partially ionized gas mixtures. It is approximate but simple in form and offers a significant improvement over commonly utilized approximations. It does not require large computer run times nor storage, thus it is suitable for use with complex flow fields and heat transfer calculations. Results for gas mixtures which are representative of the atmosphere of Jupiter, Earth, and Venus are presented and they compare favorably with results from detailed kinetic theory analyses.
Armaly, B. F.↗
Viscosity of multicomponent partially ionized gas mixtures
An approximate method is proposed for predicting the viscosity of partially ionized gas mixtures. This technique expresses the viscosity of a mixture in terms of the viscosities of the individual pure components, is simple in form, and does not require large computer run times or storage. Thus, the technique is suitable for use with complex flowfields and heat-transfer calculations. Results for gas mixtures which are representative of the atmospheres of Jupiter, Earth, and Venus, are presented and it is shown that the results compare favorably with detailed kinetic-theory analyses.
Armaly, B. F.↗
Approximate convective heating equations for hypersonic flows
Laminar and turbulent heating-rate equations appropriate for engineering predictions of the convective heating rates about blunt reentry spacecraft at hypersonic conditions are developed. The approximate methods are applicable to both nonreacting and reacting gas mixtures for either constant or variable-entropy edge conditions. A procedure which accounts for variable-entropy effects and is not based on mass balancing is presented. Results of the approximate heating methods are in good agreement with existing experimental results as well as boundary-layer and viscous-shock-layer solutions.
Zoby, E. V.↗
Radiation absorption by the C2 band systems for Jupiter entry conditions
Revised values of the absorption cross sections for seven electronic band systems of C2 have been calculated using recently published experimental data for the electronic transition moments. Using these revised C2 cross section values, computations were made for the radiating flow field over a Jupiter entry probe with coupled ablation injection from a carbon-phenolic heat shield. Results are presented which show that radiation absorption within the ablation layer for the spectral range of 4 to 6 eV is less than that predicted using previous C2 absorption cross section values. The effect of the reduced radiation absorption by the C2 molecule is an increase in the radiative heating rates and ablation mass loss rates for the Jupiter entry conditions considered in the study.
Sutton, K.↗
Approximate line shapes for hydrogen
Two independent methods are presented for calculating radiative transport within hydrogen lines. In Method 1, a simple equation is proposed for calculating the line shape. In Method 2, the line shape is assumed to be a dispersion profile and an equation is presented for calculating the half half-width. The results obtained for the line shapes and curves of growth by the two approximate methods are compared with similar results using the detailed line shapes by Vidal et al.
Sutton, K.↗
Effects of atmospheric structure on radiative heating for Jupiter entry probe
New estimates of the radiative heat load to a Jupiter entry probe have been obtained for revised models of Jupiter's atmosphere based on the latest data from Pioneer 10 and 11 missions and earth-based experiments. The new estimates of the radiative heat load are compared with results obtained for the previous atmospheric models. The changes in Jupiter's atmospheric models cause a substantial reduction in the radiative heat load for the atmosphere denoted as 'cool', but only moderate reductions for the atmospheres denoted as 'nominal' and 'warm'. Results are also presented showing the effects of inertial entry angle for off-equatorial entries in the revised model atmospheres.
Sutton, K.↗
An approximate inviscid radiating flow field analysis for outer planet entry probes
An approximate computational technique has been developed for predicting inviscid, radiating flows about blunt probes entering atmospheres consisting of hydrogen and helium. The technique is rapid and versatile and is well suited for performing parametric trade studies for outer planet entries. Details of the computational technique, the thermodynamic correlations, the 58-step absorption coefficient model and the analytic shock shape equations are discussed. Good comparisons of the radiative heating computed by the approximate method and by detailed calculations are obtained.
Zoby, E. V.↗
A study of the aerothermal environment for the Pioneer Venus multiprobe mission
In December 1978, four Pioneer Venus probe spacecraft are scheduled for almost simultaneous entry into the Venusian atmosphere at widely dispersed points about the planet. In this study, both detailed and approximate flow field analyses are used to define the entry aerothermal environment for the forebody of each of the four probes. The results show that approximate analyses can be used to predict inviscid radiative and laminar convective heating rates with acceptable accuracy. However, the radiative heating rates obtained with inviscid analyses are significantly greater than those obtained with a nonablating viscous-shock-layer (VSL) analysis, because the VSL analysis includes a strongly absorbing boundary layer. Also, the results show that the radiative heating is sensitive to small variations in atmospheric gas composition while the convective heating is not affected. With carbon-phenolic injection, the convective heating is reduced substantially while the overall radiative heating reduction is very small. Most of the radiative blockage occurs in the atomic line transitions which is significant only in the stagnation region.
Moss, J. N.↗
An investigation of the effects of mass loss, shape change and real gas aerodynamics on a Jovian atmospheric reconstruction experiment
A survey of the effects of mass loss, shape change and real-gas aerodynamics on a Jovian atmospheric reconstruction experiment is carried out. Techniques used to reconstruct atmospheric profiles from entry probe measurements are discussed and some of the parameters which affect their accuracy are identified. Trajectory analyses and real-gas, radiatively-coupled flow field analyses (which include the effects of mass loss and shape change) are carried out for several candidate probe configurations. From these analyses, uncertainties in the atmospheric reconstruction procedure are estimated. Finally, the prospects for reducing these uncertainties by optimizing probe configuration and by instrumentation of the probe heat shield to measure actual shape change are considered.
Walberg, G. D.↗
Effect of probe configuration on radiative heating during Jovian entry
The radiative heating to the probe's surface and the effects of the recession of the heat shield caused by this heating are analyzed for five initial probe configurations for a Jovian entry. The initial configurations are spherically capped, conical bodies and hyperboloids. The results show that severe blunting of the nose region occurs for all configurations due to ablation of the heat shield caused by the large radiative heating rates. Recession at the nose region can possibly cause a concavity at the stagnation point. Furthermore, the recession of the heat shield, especially for the spherically capped, conical bodies, will be underpredicted if the change in the probe's shape during the entry is neglected in an analysis.
Sutton, K.↗
Turbulent viscous-shock-layer solutions with strong vorticity interaction
Numerical solutions of the viscous-shock-layer equations governing laminar and turbulent flows of a perfect gas and radiating and nonradiating mixtures of perfect gases in chemical equilibrium are presented for hypersonic flow over spherically blunted cones and hyperboloids. The results are compared with boundary-layer and inviscid flow-field solutions. The agreement with the inviscid flow field data is satisfactory. The agreement with boundary-layer solutions is good except in regions of strong vorticity interaction. In these flow regions, the viscous-shock-layer solutions appear to be more satisfactory than the boundary-layer solutions.
Anderson, E. C.↗
Outer planet entry probes aerothermal environment - Status of prediction methodology
A description is given of the computational codes that are to be used in studies of the heating and aerodynamic performance of entry probes for the scientific exploration of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. These codes include a time-asymptotic numerical method which takes into account radiative transport and equilibrium chemistry for the direct solution of the radiative, inviscid flow over an axisymmetric or two-dimensional body. The method considers both supersonic and subsonic flow in the downstream region. Another code represents a laminar, viscous-shock-layer solution.
Sutton, K.↗