Simulation of a typical reentry vehicle TPS local flow features and material response

Statistical BGK/DSMC and continuum N-S simulations of a typical vehicle reentry flow were performed taking into account local flow features. The local surface features were known to cause problems during the Apollo era Earth atmosphere reentry Ref. [1] and therefore require close attention as the shapes and design details of the new reentry vehicles tend to build on the Apollo reentry capsules. The TPS thermal response to the high energy reentry flow in cracks and compression pad areas is important to understand to predict the TPS degradation due to the chemical and thermal ablation. The TPS study presented in this article includes the stagnation area micro crack and compression pads which disturb the flow and cause local augmentation of heat flux, which in turn, results in higher recession rates.