Finite Element Method for Ablative Thermal Protection Systems Design for Atmospheric Re-Entry Vehicles

摘要

The objective of the present work is to present a numerical procedure developed on the basis of the ANSYS Parametric Design Language to simulate the ablation process and the temperature distribution inside materials subjected to severe heat flux conditions with a Finite Element approach. The thermal properties of P50 ablators has been included in the analysis in order to compare numerical results with the outcomes of an analogous experimental test reported in literature. The numerical tool will be employed to predict the performances of innovative ablative material in course of development and characterization at CIRA for TPS applications.