Multispecies Reacting Characteristic Boundary Condition Implementation with Applications

摘要

CONTROLLED entry, descent, and landing (EDL) into a planet's atmosphere is a critical element in the success of any space mission. Typically, guided lifting entry and precision landing are achieved by using a reaction control system (RCS). For example, RCS jets are used on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) capsule and the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) for vehicle guidance maneuvers and trajectory corrections. The ability to accurately predict how RCS jets affect a vehicle's aerodynamic and heating environment is very useful and important for spacecraft design. In addition, active flow control concepts, such as hypersonic or supersonic retropropulsion (SRP) mechanisms, require significant understanding of how exhaust jets interact with the incoming flow. Because complex jet interactions can alter the shock system and affect surface properties (such as heat load, pressure, and shear stresses), it is important to correctly model these phenomena when designing these novel applications for spacecraft.