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In Flight Research on Aerothermodynamics (Atd) and Thermal Protection Systems (Tps) for Space Transportation Systems 1 IN FLIGHT RESEARCH ON AEROTHERMODYNAMICS (ATD) AND THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS (TPS) FOR SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS Jean Muylaert (1) , M. Ivanov (2) ,V. A. Danilkin (2), C. Park (3), H. Ritter (1), G. Ortega (1) (1)ESA/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands, Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] (2) ITAM Email : [email protected] (3) SRC-MDB Email: [email protected] (4) KAIST Email:CPark216 @kaist.ac.kr ABSTRACT The paper addresses a strategy to perform in flight such as wake closure, capsule shoulder heating and TPS gap / step micro aero effects could be analysed. research on Aerothermodynamics (ATD) and Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) taking advantage of the low 4. Aero-assist Hopping being a General Study cost VOLNA and SHTIL class of launchers. Programme (GSP) internal activity to assess the A series of flight test beds will be addressed and their feasibility of a low cost flight gathering data on aero- relevance discussed as to the gathering of critical braking and aero-assist strategies. Aerothermodynamic and TPS related data for design It is concluded that these low cost class of in flight tool qualification and associated physical model research initiatives are “the” way forwards to improve validation. the tools to be used for design of future re-entry space transportation systems. The paper reviews 4 initiatives, all of them of the class flying test beds and launched by the VOLNA launcher: 1. BACKGROUND 1. The EXPERT (European Experimental re-entry Test bed) project where the objective is to acquire hypersonic The design of space transportation systems is always flight data for improved understanding of natural and driven by worst case scenario’s involving estimations of roughness induced boundary layer transition, catalysis uncertainties associated with critical phenomena. To and oxidation, real gas effects on shock wave boundary cope with those uncertainties, margins are defined layer interactions, base flows and real gas chemistry. providing robustness to the system. The flight is planned for early 2010. In this process it is crucial to understand the 2. Rad-flight, being a General Study Programme (GSP) uncertainties associated with the tools used for design feasibility study with the aim to acquire flight data on and more specifically the level of validation they were radiation and ablation coupling associated with re-entry subjected to. speeds of 11km/sec thereby simulating planetary exploration and lunar sample return environments; Validation of design tools involve: revisiting herewith the Fire II precursor Apollo flights • Validation of the physical models incorporated into performed more than 40 years ago. the CFD tools, 3. Polyspheres, being a corporate study to assess the • Experimental testing activities such as e.g. plasma feasibility of one flight where multiple small capsules wind tunnel testing simulating heat loads for TPS are being injected into a suborbital trajectory with the qualification, and objective to study the impact of various heat flux levels • Flight extrapolation and scaling, including the on TPS samples. In addition critical ATD measurements analysis of the uncertainties associated with the sensor integration and calibration . 2 3. JUSTIFICATION FOR IN-FLIGHT The primary objective of the present in flight research RESEARCH TEST BEDS initiatives is to reduce these uncertainties associated A brief summary of lessons learned of past flight with design. experimentation is given below justifying the present in flight research initiatives. 2. OVERALL IN-FLIGHT TESTING APPROACH The Hermes and the follow up MSTP programme 1. FULL SCALE FLIGHT VEHICLES : provided the opportunity to test Orbiter shuttle e.g. - SHUTTLE, BOURANE, APOLLO, SHENZHOU, ARIANE 5, configurations in the European high enthalpy facilities - HUYGENS F4 and HEG. - HOPE, HERMES, OSP,CSTS - HERCULES, SOCRATES The need for enhanced facility free stream characterization, standard model testing as well as the 2. EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATORS : need for testing flown configurations for improved e.g. - X23, X24, X38, AS201, AS202, APOLLO 4,6 ARD, - BOR4 for TPS ; BOR5 for GNC; understanding of extrapolation and scaling was one of - OREX, HYFLEX for TPS ; ALFEX for GNC the main recommendations of these programmes. - MAIA, PHOENIX 1 and 2 for GNC - FLPP IXV ( PRE-X ) – USV , BLAST The follow ARD project, highly successful on the system level addressed some deficiencies associated 3. IN FLIGHT RESEARCH - FLYING TESTBEDS with sensor integration and addressed the need for e.g. - SHARP B1, B2 FLIGHTS, HYSHOT, X43, higher accuracy instrumentation when dealing with - IRDT, PAET, RAMC, FIRE local ATD phenomena and physical model validation. -MIRKA, EXPRESS, SHEFEX, SFYFE, PINCH, PIRAEUS . - EXPERT,RADFLIGHT,POLYSPHERES, AEROASSIST More recently but prior to Titan entry on 15 January 2006 a series of new experiments in shock tubes and Table 1: In-Flight experimentation classification plasmatrons were performed to verify whether the assumptions made during the design of the Huygens Table 1 presents a general in-flight experimentation heat shield were conservative enough. classification where in-flight testing can be grouped in 3 classes: full scale flight testing; experimental In doing so the task group came to the conclusion that demonstrators and in-flight research test-beds. radiation coupling is still not well enough understood and, in particular, that collisional radiative non- The present paper focuses on class-3 in-flight research – equilibrium data are still missing in part due to lack of flying test beds; this class addresses critical issues for well calibrated shock tubes and associated non intrusive design on the phenomenological level for instrumentation in conditions close to flight. Aerothermodynamimc and TPS gas surface interaction such as boundary layer transition, catalysis and It became clear that still al lot need to be achieved when oxidation, ablation, blackout, radiation, shock dealing with radiation coupling and its physical model interaction, real gas chemistry radiation, scram validation. combustion etc.. J.Moss summarised below in table 2 available numerical Class-2 deals with programme driven experimental computations performed for a point on the Fire II and demonstrations required for Class-1 full scale space Apollo 4 trajectory. transporatation system qualification. Class-2 deals with subsystem and system demonstrators required to qualify For Fire II the point was taken on the trajectory at the class-1 full scale flight. 1642.7 seconds corresponding to an altitude of 54km and a speed of 10.6 km/sec. Good examples for class-2 are the Bor 4, designed to match the local heat flux of the Bourane and the Bor 5, Note the large differences found for the convective heating: from 6 to 14 MW/m2 as well as for the radiative a 1/8 scaled Bourane configuration, for aero data basing 2 and guidance, navigation and control purposes. heating: from 3 to 6 MW/m confirming the need to understand even further thermo-chemical chemistry, non-equilibrium radiation coupling and absorption. 3 It is indeed now time, 40 years later after Fire II, to get injection, particle spallation; transition to turbulent flow new radiation flight data using advanced non-intrusive thereby enhancing ablation interaction. techniques in a way that the physical models associated with shock layer radiation / coupling and absorption can be improved. 4. PRIORITY ITEMS FOR IN FLIGHT Vehicle/Source max q max q max q c r t RESEARCH Fire II @1642.7 • Gupta2 6.8 (7.0) 3.2 10.0 total Based on the above lessons learned, a summary list of • Sutton (Inviscid)2a 6.8 (BL correlation) 3.8 10.6 total critical phenomena can be made to be studied by future in flight research initiatives: •Park3 6.6 6.5 13.1 total •Park3b Latest Result 14.3 3.8 18.1 total • Roughness induced Transition • Flight data 10.7 total • Micro aero • Real gas chemistry • Fay & Riddell 7.2 • TPS Catalysis and oxidation • TPS ablation Apollo 4 with ablation • Radiation / Ablation coupling •Park3 2.3 5.0 7.3 • Turbulence / Ablation •Park3b Latest results 3.6 1.7 5.3 • Base flows •D. B. Lee3a 1.1 Visible & IR 3.33a • Measurement sensors integration • Use of plasma facilities in design process • Fay & Riddell 2.3 In particular, managing uncertainties associated with Table 2: Heating Prediction and Measurements 2 Physical modelling: chemical modelling and (MW/m ) • radiation coupling • Flight measurement techniques: integration and calibration Anther interesting test bed was the US Re-entry F; it • Knowledge of free-stream conditions was a sharp-cone configuration designed to study • Wind tunnel to flight extrapolation (i.e. use of laminar/turbulence transition. Its base flow was ground based facilities) instrumented and revealed the non-existence in flight of are key ATD and TPS design drivers and need to be a disk shock. addressed . M. Wright pointed out that simulations of axi- symmetric bodies at high Mach number and zero angle of incidence frequently show a disk shock in the base of such configurations. This disk shock creates a large 5. VOLNA SUBORBIRAL PERFORMANCE increase in predicted base pressure combined with an CAPABILITIES increased heating. The re-entry F flight data were not able to confirm the existence of this disk shock and sting mounted ground based facility experiments did not provide insight into this problem, leading to large uncertainties in the design of back cover thermal protection systems for planetary probes. Ablation recession data measured during the Galileo entry phase indicated that: • Stagnation point recession was less than predicted • Ablation at frustrum and shoulder was much higher than predicted Fig 1 : VOLNA with Volan shape for micro g flight Recent mathematical models have not been capable to testing fully explain the observed behavior. Possible reasons for this could be: enhanced turbulence due to mass 4 Fig.2: EXPERT testbed EXPERT is a funded ESA undertaking scheduled to fly early 2010.
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