Triboelectric Charging Influence on Static Pressure Measurements for Space Re-entry and Launch Vehicles

摘要

Aerospace vehicles are typically subjected to triboelectric charging while traversing the atmosphere. Triboelectric charging is caused by particle impingement due to dust and crystal ice formations on the surface of the vehicles. Re-entry and launch vehicles traversing ice clouds in a low-pressure atmosphere experience an ideal environment for triboelectric charging to manifest (1|. These conditions are hazardous and affect a rockets' launch commit criteria. The Electrostatic and Surface Physics Laboratory (ESPL) at NASA Kennedy Space Center has conducted extensive experiments to determine if the surface of the ARES I rocket would collect enough charge to cause an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event onto the vehicles telemetry antennas. Because the rocket travels at supersonic velocities, the classical Paschen's Law does not accurately depict the flight environment since it does not account for the high bulk flow velocity at the surface [2]. The team has developed a theoretical model which accounts for the surface Mach number and dynamic pressure for compressible flow. Testing of this theoretical model was conducted using the supersonic wind tunnel at the University of Central Florida. Results indicated that the static pressure measurements were conversely affected by the ESD events. The primary objective of this work was to investigate and identify the mechanism that falsifies the static pressure measurements gathered by pressure sensors. Furthermore, the results aimed to quantify the variation in static pressure reading during electrostatic discharge events. A thorough understanding of the local static pressure and ESD event is critical in order to verify the data. This work aims to provide a basis for the associated measurement errors.