Aerothermodynamic analysis for deformed membrane of inflatable aeroshell in orbital reentry mission

Abstract

An inflatable aerodynamic decelerator with a membrane aeroshell is a promising key technology in the reentry, descent, and landing phases of future space transportation. The membrane aeroshell is generally deformed by the in-flight aerodynamic force; however, the effects of the deformation on the aerodynamic heating are unclear. Here, we investigated aerodynamic heating for an inflatable reentry vehicle, Titans, in the hypersonic regime using flow field simulation coupled with structural analysis. Thermochemical nonequilibrium flows around the Titans with a deformed membrane aeroshell were reproduced numerically for an angle of attack (AoA) values between 0° and 40°. The maximum displacements of the membrane aeroshell by deformation at the AoAs of 0° and 40° were 6.7% and 6.6% of the diameter of the Titans, respectively. The difference in heat fluxes between the deformed and rigid shapes was a remarkable 188.8% for a 0° AoA owing to the considerable changes in the front shock wave shape. Meanwhile, it was indicated that membrane deformation at an AoA of 40° insignificantly affected the peak heat flux value on the inflatable torus because the considerable change in the shock wave shape observed for the case of 0° AoA did not occur. It was found that local wrinkles on the membrane aeroshell were formed by deformation, thus causing the heat flux to increase owing to an increase in local temperature gradient on the surface.