Computational Hypersonic Aerodynamics with Emphasis on Earth Reentry Capsules

The temperature in the front region of a hypersonic vehicle nose can be extremely high, for example, reaching approximately 11 000 K at a Mach number of 36 (Apollo reentry) due to the bow shock wave. In this case, accurate prediction of temperature behind the shock wave is necessary in order to precisely estimate the wall heat flux. A better prediction of wall heat flux leads to smaller safety coefficient for thermal shield of space reentry vehicle; therefore, the size of thermal shield decreases and the payload could increase. However, the accurate prediction of temperature behind the bow shock wave implies the use of a precise chemical model whose partial differential equations are added to Navier-Stokes equations. This second order partial differential system is very difficult to be numerically integrated. For this reason, the present paper deals with the computational hypersonic aerodynamics with chemical reactions with the aim of supporting Earth reentry capsule design.