Abstract
This paper performs numerical simulation on the decompression process of a Mars rover using FLUENT. The pressure differential between the inside and outside of the Mars rover resulting from changes in ambient pressure of the rocket fairing is investigated. In terms of numerical simulation, PROFILE outlet boundary conditions are developed and the impacts of ambient pressure settings, time steps, and mesh density are investigated to improve the accuracy of simulation results. The decompression process of the separate large module, large and small modules under two types of ambient pressures are simulated. The results show that the largest pressure differential between the inside and outside of the module body is less than 2200 Pa. Because of the small size of the small module, the results for the separate large module and the large/small modules are consistent. The pressure differential between the inside and outside of the rover is mainly influenced by the variation in ambient pressure.
Highlights
In Mars exploration mission, the rover, which contains a nonsealed module, uses heat sealing for aerodynamic thermal protection
Holes are made in the low heat flow area on the surface of the rover to make sure that the pressure differential between the inside and outside in the launch phase falls within the range of the bearing capacity of the cover
The ambient pressure is the lower limit of internal pressure in condition 1, and numerical simulation is performed on variation of pressure inside the large/small modules
Summary
In Mars exploration mission, the rover, which contains a nonsealed module, uses heat sealing for aerodynamic thermal protection. [8,9,10] of Harbin Institute of Technology carried out research on the inflation/deflation processes of the empty container, put forward a method for modeling and determination of heat exchange coefficients based on experimental and theoretical analysis, verified its accuracy through. Li et al [11] of the China Academy of Engineering Physics investigated the deflation time it takes for the deflation system, which consists of a larger container, multiple segments of slender tubes of different diameters and lengths, and automatic valves, when reducing the initial pressure of 0.6 MPa to the residual pressure of 0.001 MPa through deflation, deduced related calculation formulas, and proposed that the whole deflation process be divided into two phases: sonic and subsonic. The laws of variation in the pressure differential between the inside and outside of the module resulting from changes in the ambient pressure in the rocket fairing are studied
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