Convective and radiative heat transfer during superorbital entry.
Convective and radiative heat transfer to reentry vehicles at superorbital velocities
RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “Reentry”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Three-impulse transfer from lunar orbits.
Three-impulse orbital transfer from lunar orbits and earth reentry trajectory applications
IMPULSE ORBITAL TRANSFER↗
Three-impulse transfer from lunar orbits.
Three-impulse orbital transfer from lunar orbits and earth reentry trajectory applications
MOON-EARTH TRAJECTORY↗
An analysis of minimum heat trajectories for entry at hyperbolic speeds.
Optimum trajectory control for minimum heating paths during manned vehicle reentry at hyperbolic speeds
OPTIMAL CONTROL↗
Free-flight measurements of aerodynamic viscous effects on lifting re-entry bodies.
Lift-drag ratio, lift and drag coefficients and angle of attack effects on Gemini and Apollo reentry vehicles measured in shock tunnel under free flight conditions
VISCOUS DRAG↗
Trajectory optimization using fast-time repetitive computation.
Reentry trajectory optimization by repetitive computations of impulse response functions and state equations solution
STATE EQUATION↗
Magnetogasdynamic re-entry phenomena.
MGD reentry flow regimes analyzed, noting increased bow shock standoff distance and drag, comparing in-flight and laboratory simulation
MAGNETOGASDYNAMICS↗
Sampling Functions from Gaussian Processes and Structured Covariance Gaussian Networks
When learning aerodynamic models from data, it is critical to incorporate estimates of model uncertainty. This motivates the design of probabilistic aerodynamic databases which can be sampled to generate physically and statistically plausible aerodynamic models. In this talk we discuss how to sample deterministic functions from two different kinds of probabilistic models and demonstrate their use. First, Gaussian Process Regressors (GPRs) are a widely used probabilistic kernel-based model which can be thought of as Gaussian distributions over functions. GPRs are generally trained by maximizing the marginal likelihood of seeing the training data over the kernel parameter space. Sample functions are easily generated by drawing points from the Gaussian distribution at desired input points. However, when the points are not known ahead of time, the classical sampling approach is not possible since successive function samples will generate different function realizations. We present an approach for sampling consistent function evaluations from a GPR over multiple samples. Second, we describe a neural network architecture which learns a conditional Gaussian distribution by maximizing the marginal likelihood at each point in the input space. We then discuss and compare several options for generating sample functions which match this distribution. Finally, we demonstrate the use of these probabilistic aerodynamic models in an atmospheric reentry simulation.
Gaussian process regression↗
Investigating the Relationship Between Bolide Entry Angle and Apparent Direction of Infrasound Signal Arrivals
Infrasound sensing offers critical capabilities for detecting and geolocating bolide events globally. However, the observed back azimuths, directions from which infrasound signals arrive at stations, often differ from the theoretical expectations based on the bolide’s peak brightness location. For objects with shallow entry angles, which traverse longer atmospheric paths, acoustic energy may be emitted from multiple points along the trajectory, leading to substantial variability in back azimuth residuals. This study investigates how the entry angle of energetic bolides affects the back azimuth deviations, independent of extrinsic factors such as atmospheric propagation, station noise, and signal processing methodologies. A theoretical framework, the Bolide Infrasound Back-Azimuth EXplorer Model (BIBEX-M), was developed to compute predicted back azimuths solely from geometric considerations. The model quantifies how these residuals vary as a function of source-to-receiver distance, revealing that bolides entering at shallow angles, e.g., 10°, can produce average residuals of 20°, with deviations reaching up to 46° at distances below 1000 km, and remaining significant even at 5000 km (up to 8°). In contrast, bolides with steeper entry angles, e.g., > 60°, show smaller deviations, typically under 5° at 1000 km and diminishing to less than ~1° beyond 5000 km. These findings attest to the need for careful interpretation when evaluating signal detections and estimating bolide locations. This work is not only pertinent to bolides but also to other high-energy, extended-duration atmospheric phenomena such as space debris and reentry events, where similar geometric considerations can influence infrasound arrival directions.
Acoustics↗
Influence of Cu/Li Ratio on the Welding Forces and Mechanical Properties of Two Bobbin Tool Friction Stir Welded Al-Cu-Li Alloys
Increasing space activities produce a high number of space objects and lead to increasing collision risks which urges leading industries to look for future removal strategies. Material substitution in order to raise demisability during atmospheric reentry is a possible solution. Modern aluminum lithium alloys are under consideration to replace high-temperature melting materials like titanium. Further, friction stir welding was proposed as suitable joining technology in order to avoid high heat inputs during manufacturing. In this work, two modern Al-Li-Cu alloys, AA 2060 and AA 2196, in peak-aged temper were welded using the stationary shoulder variant of bobbin tool friction stir welding. Identical process parameters led to defect-free welds in both alloys. The macrostructural and microstructural features are shown and analyzed. The welds were mechanically tested to an efficiency of 78 and 70% of the base metal ultimate tensile strength for AA 2060 T8 and AA 2196 T8, respectively. The process forces as well as the thermal cycle experienced by the workpiece material were used to explain the mechanical performance. The difference in composition regarding the Cu/Li ratio of the alloys was taken into account when the mechanical properties were correlated with the thermally affected microstructure of the weldments.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
A computational approach for hypersonic nonequilibrium radiation utilizing space partition algorithm and Gauss quadrature
An efficient computational capability for nonequilibrium radiation simulation via the ray tracing technique has been accomplished. The radiative rate equation is iteratively coupled with the aerodynamic conservation laws including nonequilibrium chemical and chemical–physical kinetic models. The spectral properties along tracing rays are determined by a space partition algorithm of the nearest neighbor search process, and the numerical accuracy is further enhanced by a local resolution refinement using the Gauss–Lobatto polynomial. The interdisciplinary governing equations are solved by an implicit delta formulation through the diminishing residual approach. The axisymmetric radiating flow fields over the reentry RAM-CII probe have been simulated and verified with flight data and previous solutions by traditional methods. A computational efficiency gain nearly forty times is realized over that of the existing simulation procedures.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Code-verification techniques for hypersonic reacting flows in thermochemical nonequilibrium
The study of hypersonic flows and their underlying aerothermochemical reactions is particularly important in the design and analysis of vehicles exiting and reentering Earth's atmosphere. Computational physics codes can be employed to simulate these phenomena; however, code verification of these codes is necessary to certify their credibility. To date, few approaches have been presented for verifying codes that simulate hypersonic flows, especially flows reacting in thermochemical nonequilibrium. In this work, we present our code-verification techniques for verifying the spatial accuracy and thermochemical source term in hypersonic reacting flows in thermochemical nonequilibrium. Additionally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques on the Sandia Parallel Aerodynamics and Reentry Code (SPARC).
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Thermal analyses of high-power advanced thermoacoustic radioisotope power system for future space exploration missions
This paper presents the results of 3-D thermal analyses of the heat source assembly of a 440 We advanced radioisotope power system (RPS) for future space exploration missions. This high thermal efficiency RPS employs a heat source assembly of eight Step 2 General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules and four Thermoacoustic Power Converter (TAPC) units. Each unit is thermally coupled to two GPHS modules. Here, the analyses investigated the temperatures of the Iridium (Ir) alloy cladding of the 238 PuO 2 fuel pellets and the surface of the Fine Weave Pierced Fabric (FWPF) aeroshell in the GPHS modules to ensure reliable operation and safety in case of an unlikely reentry. Conductive coupling of the GPHS modules to the heater heads of the TAPC units produces relatively uniform axial and azimuthal distributions of heat flux and temperature. However, for this case the temperature of the Ir alloy cladding is lower than the desired values of 1173 K to maintain sufficient ductility. Adding a 5 mm wide He filled gap and decreasing the thickness of the graphite sleeve to 10 mm increased Ir cladding temperature to 1197–1174 K, which are in the desired range. The maximum surface temperatures of the FWPF graphite aeroshell of 1022–1131 K is well below the NASA specified limit of 1373 K. In addition, the total mass of the heat source assembly decreased by 19.6 kg, ~43% saving compared to original design.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Dynamics of Cation-Induced Conformational Changes in Nanometer-Sized Uranyl Peroxide Clusters
Conformational changes of the pyrophosphate (Pp)-functionalized uranyl peroxide nanocluster [(UO 2 ) 24 (O 2 ) 24 (P 2 O 7 ) 12 ] 48– ({U 24 Pp 12 }), dissolved as a Li/Na salt, can be induced by the titration of alkali cations into solution. The most symmetric conformer of the molecule has idealized octahedral ( O h ) molecular symmetry. One-dimensional 31 P NMR experiments provide direct evidence that both K + and Rb + ions trigger an O h -to- D 4 h conformational change within {U 24 Pp 12 }. Variable-temperature 31 P NMR experiments conducted on partially titrated {U 24 Pp 12 } systems show an effect on the rates; increased activation enthalpy and entropy for the D 4 h -to- O h transition is observed in the presence of Rb + compared to K + . Two-dimensional, exchange spectroscopy 31 P NMR revealed that magnetization transfer links chemically unique Pp bridges that are present in the D 4 h conformation and that this magnetization transfer occurs via a conformational rearrangement mechanism as the bridges interconvert between two symmetries. The interconversion is triggered by the departure and reentry of K (or Rb) cations out of and into the cavity of the cluster. This rearrangement allows Pp bridges to interconvert without the need to break bonds. Cs ions exhibit unique interactions with {U 24 Pp 12 } clusters and cause only minor changes in the solution 31 P NMR signatures, suggesting that O h symmetry is conserved. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that the mixed Li/Na/Cs salt adopts D 2 h molecular symmetry, implying that while solvated, this cluster is in equilibrium with a more symmetric form. Thus, these results highlight the unusually flexible nature of the actinide-based {U 24 Pp 12 } and its sensitivity to countercations in solution.
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
Development of a ReaxFF potential for carbon condensed phases and its application to the thermal fragmentation of a large fullerene
In this paper, we report the development of a ReaxFF reactive potential that can accurately describe the chemistry and dynamics of carbon condensed phases. Density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations were performed to obtain the equation of state for graphite and diamond and the formation energies of defects in graphene and amorphous phases from fullerenes. The DFT data were used to reparametrize ReaxFF CHO , resulting in a new potential called ReaxFF C-2013 . ReaxFF C-2013 accurately predicts the atomization energy of graphite and closely reproduces the DFT-based energy difference between graphite and diamond, and the barrier for transition from graphite to diamond. ReaxFF C-2013 also accurately predicts the DFT-based energy barrier for Stone–Wales transformation in a C 60 (I h ) fullerene through the concerted rotation of a C 2 unit. Later, MD simulations of a C 180 fullerene using ReaxFF C-2013 suggested that the thermal fragmentation of these giant fullerenes is an exponential function of time. An Arrhenius-type equation was fit to the decay rate, giving an activation energy of 7.66 eV for the loss of carbon atoms from the fullerene. Although the decay of the molecule occurs primarily via the loss of C 2 units, we observed that, with an increase in temperature, the probability of loss of larger fragments increases. Finally, the ReaxFF C-2013 potential developed in this work, and the results obtained on fullerene fragmentation, provide an important step toward the full computational chemical modeling of coal pyrolysis, soot incandescence, high temperature erosion of graphitic rocket nozzles, and ablation of carbon-based spacecraft materials during atmospheric reentry.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Reentrant spin-glass state in a geometrical frustrated multiferroic system: Role of disorder
We investigated the effect of magnetic (Mn) and nonmagnetic (Ga) doping at the Cr site of the layered geometrically frustrated antiferromagnetic compound LiCrO{sub 2}. 10% Ga doping at the Cr site does not invoke any metastability typical of a glassy magnetic state. However, similar amount of Mn doping drives the system to a spin glass (SG) state which is particularly evident from the magnetic memory and heat capacity studies. The onset of glassy state in 10% Mn doped sample is of reentrant type developing out of higher temperature antiferromagnetic state. The SG state in the Mn-doped sample shows a true reentry with the complete disappearance of the antiferromagnetic phase below the SG transition. The lack of SG state on Ga doping indicates the importance of random ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bonds for the glassy ground state in LiCrO{sub 2}.
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
Overview of the SAS4A Metallic Fuel Models and Extended Analysis of a Postulated Severe Accident in the Prototype Gen-IV Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor
The SAS4A safety analysis code, originally developed for the analysis of postulated severe accidents in oxide fuel sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), has been significantly extended to allow the mechanistic analysis of severe accidents in metallic fuel SFRs. The SAS4A metallic fuel models simulate the metallic fuel thermomechanical and chemical behavior and track the evolution and relocation of multiple fuel and cladding components during the pretransient irradiation and during the postulated accident, allowing an accurate description of the changes in the local fuel composition. The local fuel composition determines the fuel thermophysical properties, such as freezing and melting temperatures, which in turn affect the fuel relocation behavior and ultimately the core reactivity and power history during the postulated accidents. Models describing the fuel-cladding interaction and eutectic formation, the effects of the in-pin sodium on the in-pin fuel relocation, and the postfailure reentry of the molten fuel and fission gas from the pin plenum have also been added. This paper provides an overview of the SAS4A key metallic fuel models emphasizing the postfailure metallic fuel relocation models included in the LEVITATE-M module of SAS4A. The capabilities of the SAS4A metallic fuel models are illustrated through an extended SAS4A analysis of a postulated unprotected loss-of-flow and transient-overpower accident in the metallic fuel prototype Gen-IV sodium fast reactor. The results show that the maximum relative power reached during the postulated accident is 1.19 P 0 . The favorable characteristics of the metallic fuel cause a significant decrease in net reactivity and relative power due to prefailure in-pin fuel relocation. Furthermore, negative net reactivity values persist after cladding failure, and the postfailure fuel relocation events occur at low and decreasing power levels.
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
Acoustic waves from the 2023 April 20 SpaceX Starship rocket explosion travelling in the elevated ‘AtmoSOFAR’ channel
SUMMARY The ability to detect low-frequency sounds from distant energetic events depends on the temperature and wind structure of the atmosphere. Thus, from time to time surface-based acoustic detectors may not be able to capture sounds arriving from certain directions. However, the temperature minimum at the tropopause may create an acoustic duct called the ‘AtmoSOFAR’ channel that could transmit acoustic waves laterally—but perhaps not to the ground. If true, then elevated sensors such as those borne aloft by balloons would record the signatures even in regions where ground-based sensors cannot. This has been difficult to prove because high altitude acoustic sources are rare and balloon deployments are sporadic. This work describes the detection and characterization of powerful acoustic waves generated during the launch and terminal explosion of the SpaceX Starship rocket on 2023 April 20 using a pair of microbarometers on a stratospheric balloon. The signals travelled through the AtmoSOFAR channel, carrying information about the size and nature of their source. This channel also appears to leak some acoustic energy to the ground, in agreement with previous studies. The acoustic yield of the Starship terminal explosion was on the order of $10^3$ tons trinitrotoluene equivalent, which agrees with the estimated fuel load of the vehicle to about a factor of 2, but is two orders of magnitude larger than optical estimates. These results support an earlier study that claimed lateral transmission of sound from a smaller rocket through the AtmoSOFAR channel. The transmission of source information through the AtmoSOFAR channel motivates its use for monitoring other natural and anthropogenic events using balloon-borne sensors. This may become increasingly important as more and more private and government entities conduct spacecraft launches and reentries. It may also provide a means of monitoring clear air turbulence and other sound-generating atmospheric phenomena at a distance.
58 GEOSCIENCES↗