Radiative–Convective Heating of the Surface of the Martian Descent Vehicle MSL with Taking into Account the Turbulent Nature of Flow

Abstract

The three-dimensional computer model based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations together with the Baldwin–Lomax and Prandtl algebraic models of turbulent mixing is used to calculate radiative–convective heat transfer on the surface of the MSL descent space vehicle. The intensification of convective heat transfer on the leeward side of the frontal aerodynamic shield and the superiority of the radiative heat flux density over the convective one on the rear surface are demonstrated. The calculations are performed using the physically and chemically nonequilibrium gas model. The results are compared with the calculations based on other computational models and the flight data on the heat load to the descent vehicle obtained during MSL descent in the dense layers of the Martian atmosphere.