Simulation of Ablation in a Composite Thermal Protection System via an Interface Tracking Method

Machado, Humberto Araujo

doi:10.5028/jatm.2012.04030312

Abstract:

In this work, the two-dimensional computational simulation of the ablative process in a composite used in rocket thermal protection systems via an interface tracking method was presented. The ablative model considers the presence of two simultaneous moving fronts, the pyrolysis and char fronts. The results were compared with some experimental data, showing better agreement than the one-front model. Such procedure will allow a more accurate dimensioning of rocket thermal protection systems, contributing for project optimization.

Keywords:
Ablation; Composite; Moving boundary; Computational simulation

Full text available only in PDF format.

REFERENCES

Barros, E. A., 2008, "Thermal Plasma for Ablation in Materials Used in Heat Shield of Space Systems" (In Portuguese), M.Sc. Dissertation, ITA, São José dos Campos, Brazil. 170p.
Da Costa, L. E. V. L. et al, 1996, "Viability Study of Thermal Protection for SARA Platform" (In Portuguese), IAE/CTA, Technical note NT-130-ASE-N/96, IAE/CTA, São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Gregori, M. L. et al, 2008, "Properties of Quartz-Phenolic Composites for Thermal Protection Systems", 59^th IAC Congress, Glascow, Scotland.
Juric, D., 1996, "Computations of Phase Change", PhD Thesis, University of Michigan, Michigan. 166p.
Machado, H. A., 2006, "Thermal Protection for Aerodynamic Heating of the SARA Sub-orbtial Platform" (In Portuguese), CONEM 2006, Recife, Brazil.
Machado, H. A. and Pessoa-Filho, J. B., 2007a, "Aerodynamic Heating at Hypersonic Speeds", Proceedings of 19th Brazilian Congress of Mechanical Engineering, Brasília, Brazil.
Machado, H. A. and Pessoa-Filho, J. B., 2007b, "Aerodynamic Heating on VSB-30", ESA Symposium, Visby, Sweden.
Mazzoni, J. A. and Pessoa Filho, J. B., Machado, H. A., 2005, "Aerodynamic Heating on VSB-30 Sounding Rocket", Proceedings of 18th Brazilian Congress of Mechanical Engineering, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Rogan, J. E. and Hurwicz, H., 1973, "High-temperature Thermal Protection Systems, in Handbook of Heat Transfer", edited by Rohsenow, W. M., Hartnett J. P., McGraw-Hill, New York, section 19.
Ruperti Jr.,N. J., 1991, "Solution of a One-Dimensional Ablation Model" (In Portuguese), M.Sc. Dissertation, National Institute for Space Research - INPE, São José dos Campos, Brazil. 100p.
Sawatimskii, A. V., 2003, "Melting Point of Graphite and Liquid Carbon", Physics-Uspekhi, Vol. 46, No. 12, pp. 1295 - 1303.
Silva, D.YF.M. R., 2001, "Estimative of Thermal Properties of Ablative Materials" (In Portuguese), M.Sc. Dissertation, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 108p.
Tick, S. J. et al, 1965, "Design of Ablative Thrust Chambers and Their Materials", Journal of Spacecraft & Rocket, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 325-331.
Unverdi, S. O. and Tryggvason, G., 1992, "A Front-Tracking Method for Viscous, Incompressible, Multi-fluid Flows", Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 100, pp. 25-37.
Williams, S. D. and Curry, D. M., 1992, "Thermal Protection Materials - Thermophysical Property Data", NASA Reference Publication 1289.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Jul-Sep 2012

History

Received
18 Jan 2012
Accepted
22 June 2012

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

[1] Barros, E. A., 2008, "Thermal Plasma for Ablation in Materials Used in Heat Shield of Space Systems" (In Portuguese), M.Sc. Dissertation, ITA, São José dos Campos, Brazil. 170p.

[2] Da Costa, L. E. V. L. et al, 1996, "Viability Study of Thermal Protection for SARA Platform" (In Portuguese), IAE/CTA, Technical note NT-130-ASE-N/96, IAE/CTA, São José dos Campos, Brazil.

[3] Gregori, M. L. et al, 2008, "Properties of Quartz-Phenolic Composites for Thermal Protection Systems", 59^th IAC Congress, Glascow, Scotland.

[4] Juric, D., 1996, "Computations of Phase Change", PhD Thesis, University of Michigan, Michigan. 166p.

[5] Machado, H. A., 2006, "Thermal Protection for Aerodynamic Heating of the SARA Sub-orbtial Platform" (In Portuguese), CONEM 2006, Recife, Brazil.

[6] Machado, H. A. and Pessoa-Filho, J. B., 2007a, "Aerodynamic Heating at Hypersonic Speeds", Proceedings of 19th Brazilian Congress of Mechanical Engineering, Brasília, Brazil.

[7] Machado, H. A. and Pessoa-Filho, J. B., 2007b, "Aerodynamic Heating on VSB-30", ESA Symposium, Visby, Sweden.

[8] Mazzoni, J. A. and Pessoa Filho, J. B., Machado, H. A., 2005, "Aerodynamic Heating on VSB-30 Sounding Rocket", Proceedings of 18th Brazilian Congress of Mechanical Engineering, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

[9] Rogan, J. E. and Hurwicz, H., 1973, "High-temperature Thermal Protection Systems, in Handbook of Heat Transfer", edited by Rohsenow, W. M., Hartnett J. P., McGraw-Hill, New York, section 19.

[10] Ruperti Jr.,N. J., 1991, "Solution of a One-Dimensional Ablation Model" (In Portuguese), M.Sc. Dissertation, National Institute for Space Research - INPE, São José dos Campos, Brazil. 100p.

[11] Sawatimskii, A. V., 2003, "Melting Point of Graphite and Liquid Carbon", Physics-Uspekhi, Vol. 46, No. 12, pp. 1295 - 1303.

[12] Silva, D.YF.M. R., 2001, "Estimative of Thermal Properties of Ablative Materials" (In Portuguese), M.Sc. Dissertation, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 108p.

[13] Tick, S. J. et al, 1965, "Design of Ablative Thrust Chambers and Their Materials", Journal of Spacecraft & Rocket, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 325-331.

[14] Unverdi, S. O. and Tryggvason, G., 1992, "A Front-Tracking Method for Viscous, Incompressible, Multi-fluid Flows", Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 100, pp. 25-37.

[15] Williams, S. D. and Curry, D. M., 1992, "Thermal Protection Materials - Thermophysical Property Data", NASA Reference Publication 1289.

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