Trajectory based, 3-dimensional heating and ablation calculations for the Apollo Lunar/Earth return capsule
Abstract
Three dimensional (3-D) surface heating and ablation rate distributions have been obtained based on the geometry of the project Apollo Lunar/Earth return capsule and high Reynolds number inviscid/boundary layer methods. This application is based on the principles of the pseudo-three dimensional axisymmetric streamline analogy. Inviscid surface streamlines are determined for the forebody portion of the Apollo capsule using a CFD solver. Streamlines are obtained for the 20 deg angle-of-attack flight case, and the associated streamline metrics are determined. Boundary layer heating and ablation calculations are performed along selected Apollo forebody streamlines using the non-similar boundary layer code. Surface radiative heating estimates were obtained and the validity of the streamline tracing analogy is examined. These comparisons and the Apollo trajectory heating results are discussed.
- Publication:
-
AIAA, 28th Thermophysics Conference
- Pub Date:
- July 1993
- Bibcode:
- 1993thph.confQ....H
- Keywords:
-
- Ablation;
- Aerodynamic Heating;
- Aerothermodynamics;
- Apollo Spacecraft;
- Convective Heat Transfer;
- Heat Flux;
- Radiative Heat Transfer;
- Angle Of Attack;
- Boundary Layer Flow;
- Computational Fluid Dynamics;
- High Reynolds Number;
- Inviscid Flow;
- Stream Functions (Fluids);
- Three Dimensional Models;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer