Fluid-thermal response of spherical dome under a Mach 6.59 laminar boundary layer

The coupled fluid-thermal responseofa nominally rigid aluminum spherical dome fixed to a ceramic panel holder placed in a Mach 6.59 laminar boundary layer is examined. The compressible Navier-Stokes equations for a thermally perfect gas and the transient heat equation in the structure are solved simultaneously using two highfidelity solvers coupled at the solid-fluid interface. The geometry and flow conditions correspond to those investigated in the 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel at NASA Langley during testing of metallic thermal protection systems for the National Aerospace Plane for which experimental heat flux data are available. Predicted surface heat fluxes are within 10%of the measured values inthe dome interior with greater differences found near the dome edges where uncertainties concerning the experimental model's construction likely influence the thermal dynamics.On the flat panel holder, the local surface heat fluxes approach those on the windward dome face due to a dome-induced horseshoe vortex scouring the panel's surface. Comparisons with simpler models of heat transfer indicate they fail to be accurateinregions where the dome-influencedflow impacts the ceramic panel. Cumulative effects of flow-thermal coupling at later simulation times on panel drag and surface heat transfer are quantified.