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Performance of transpiration cooled heat shields for re-entry vehicles

Abstract:
This paper presents results of a system study of transpiration cooled thermal protection systems for Earth re-entry. The cooling performance for sustained hypersonic flight and transient re-entry of a blunt cone geometry is assessed. A simplified numerical model is used to calculate the transient temperature of a transpiration cooled heat shield. The performance of transpiration cooling is assessed by calculating the overall required coolant mass for different steady state and transient flight scenarios. Spatially and temporally optimised mass injection is presented for various flight conditions. The majority of the injection is required on the spherical nose segment of the blunted cone. Carbon/Carbon composite ceramic and the ultra high temperature ceramic Zirconium diboride are considered as wall materials. Both materials require similar amounts of coolant injection. In continuous hypersonic cruise, transpiration cooling is highly effective for flight conditions with velocities below 8 km s−1 and altitudes above 40 km. For transient re-entry, transpiration cooling is most viable for trajectories of entry velocities below 8.5 km s−1 and ballistic coefficients below 2.1 kg m−2.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.2514/1.J058515

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Engineering Science
Role:
Author


Publisher:
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Journal:
AIAA Journal More from this journal
Volume:
58
Issue:
2
Pages:
830-841
Publication date:
2019-12-17
Acceptance date:
2019-10-23
DOI:
EISSN:
1533-385X
ISSN:
0001-1452


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:1069067
UUID:
uuid:ed382e8e-855f-48b7-b995-3b3571c723a8
Local pid:
pubs:1069067
Source identifiers:
1069067
Deposit date:
2019-11-01

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