Ground Test Facilities for Aerothermodynamic Simulation of Ballistic Reentry Vehicle Nose-Tip Conditions

摘要

A study was made of ground test simulation of flight conditions of high performance ballistic reentry vehicles, as performed for assessment of ablation performance of nose-tip materials. The study utilized a generalized representation of vehicle materials, configurations, and trajectories. Existing high-temperature steady-flow test facilities were found to be adequate for simulation of peak heating, shear, and pressures corresponding to those for a vehicle reentering the atmosphere at 25,000 ft/sec, at an angle of 30 deg, with a ballistic coefficient of about 800. Improved test facility conditions are required for reentry vehicles of ballistic coefficients higher than 800. The corresponding power, pressure, and enthalpy requirements are shown for arbitrary values of ballistic parameters. Possible advanced facilities for the achievement of higher pressure, enthalpy, and heating rate are compared and briefly discussed. Among these are: a higher-powered heated-flow test facility, a ballistic range test facility, a thermal-radiation augmentation method, and improvements in existing heated-flow facilities. (Author)