Validating Advanced Thermophysics Models

Aerospace America year in review article for Thermophysics covering the COMARS data from ExoMars, meteor testing in arcj ets and potential energy surface calculations

Analysis of Shockwave Radiation Data in Nitrogen

Data from a pure nitrogen test series in the Electric Arc Shock Tube Facility were previously reported for velocities spanning 6-12 km/s at a free-stream pressure of 0.2 Torr. This test series provides validation data for a range of physical phenomena to investigate, including vibrational relaxation, molecular radiation, nitrogen dissociation and ionization, and atomic radiation and ionization. This paper details analysis of data obtained at a nominal velocity of 10.3 km/s. The spectra are analyzed to extract temperatures and the densities of excited states as a function of position behind the shock. The effect of different methods for calculating state populations and ionization processes is assessed, as is a rigorous assessment of the atomic line lists, with both missing and extra lines identified

Full Facility Shock Frame Simulations of the Electric Arc Shock Tube

Radiative heating computations are performed for a range of high speed Earth entry experiments conducted in the Electric Arc Shock Tube at NASA Ames. The nonequilibrium radiative transport equations are solved in NEQAIR using flow field variables from the full facility CFD simulations of the EAST shock tube performed by US3D ow solver. These physics-based flow calculations lead to a significantly different post-shock gas state and associated radiation field as compared to that based on a simplified but computationally inexpensive calculation for flow over a blunt-body with appropriate initial conditions. The radiation spectra and radiance profiles are computed for an extensive range of wavelengths, from deep VUV to IR, which are pertinent to the emission characteristics of high enthalpy shock waves in air. The radiation properties of the shocked gas are calculated both in the nonequilibrium region at the shock, and in the equilibrium region behind the shock. Numerical predictions are found to be consistent with the experimental observations

Shock Layer Radiation Modeling and Uncertainty for Mars Entry

A model for simulating nonequilibrium radiation from Mars entry shock layers is presented. A new chemical kinetic rate model is developed that provides good agreement with recent EAST and X2 shock tube radiation measurements. This model includes a CO dissociation rate that is a factor of 13 larger than the rate used widely in previous models. Uncertainties in the proposed rates are assessed along with uncertainties in translational-vibrational relaxation modeling parameters. The stagnation point radiative flux uncertainty due to these flowfield modeling parameter uncertainties is computed to vary from 50 to 200% for a range of free-stream conditions, with densities ranging from 5e-5 to 5e-4 kg/m3 and velocities ranging from of 6.3 to 7.7 km/s. These conditions cover the range of anticipated peak radiative heating conditions for proposed hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerators (HIADs). Modeling parameters for the radiative spectrum are compiled along with a non-Boltzmann rate model for the dominant radiating molecules, CO, CN, and C2. A method for treating non-local absorption in the non-Boltzmann model is developed, which is shown to result in up to a 50% increase in the radiative flux through absorption by the CO 4th Positive band. The sensitivity of the radiative flux to the radiation modeling parameters is presented and the uncertainty for each parameter is assessed. The stagnation point radiative flux uncertainty due to these radiation modeling parameter uncertainties is computed to vary from 18 to 167% for the considered range of free-stream conditions. The total radiative flux uncertainty is computed as the root sum square of the flowfield and radiation parametric uncertainties, which results in total uncertainties ranging from 50 to 260%. The main contributors to these significant uncertainties are the CO dissociation rate and the CO heavy-particle excitation rates. Applying the baseline flowfield and radiation models developed in this work, the radiative heating for the Mars Pathfinder probe is predicted to be nearly 20 W/cm2. In contrast to previous studies, this value is shown to be significant relative to the convective heating

Characterization of CO Thermochemistry in Incident Shockwaves

Incident shock waves in pure CO have been characterized in the Electric Arc ShockTube facility at NASA Ames Research Center. Spectrally and spatially resolved emissionspectra characterize radiative signatures from CO in the VUV and mid-infrared and atomiccarbon and C2 in the visible. CO absorption of a single vibrational line is also measuredwith a tunable diode laser. The experimental data analyzed here are at a pressure of 0.25Torr in the driven section and span a shock velocity range from 3.4-9.5 km/s. The emissionand absorption signals are analyzed to extract temperature relaxation behind the shockwhich is used to derive the rate of CO dissociation. The emission spectra are compared toresults using different kinetic parameters for CO dissociation and C2 dissociation andexchange. Different rates from the literature are found to match the data from 3.4-6.6 km/sand 6.6-9.5 km/s. Areas for improvement in CO and C2 radiation modeling are suggested onthe basis of the analysis

Status of Shock Layer Radiation Validation Studies

This paper presents a status update for the shock layer radiation validation studies conducted at NASA. A review of the present capability for the simulation and validation of shock layer radiation is presented as well as providing an overview of the data obtained from the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST). The paper will include details covering updated convective and radiative heating correlations, provide an overview of the development of new kinetics for Mars entry and detail some recent work calculating after-body radiation. Furthermore, the paper will highlight conditions where there is high confidence in the validation of EAST data (e.g. Earth entry for speeds greater than approximately 10 kms and for many Mars entry conditions) and where further experimental data would be highly beneficial (e.g. lower speed Earth entry around 7.5 to 10 kms and higher speed CO2 entries relevant to Venus). Nominal test conditions for both Earth and Mars are provided for future potential facility-to-facility comparisons

Time Accurate Simulation of Nonequilibrium Flow Inside the NASA Ames Electric Arc Shock Tube

Numerical investigations of the flowfield inside NASA Ames' Electric Arc Shock Tube have been performed. The focus is to simulate the experiments designed to reproduce shock layer radiation layer relevant to Earth re-entry conditions. This paper assess the current computational capability in simulating time-accurate unsteady nonequilibrium flows in the presence of strong shock waves with state-of-the-art physical models. The technical approach is described with preliminary results presented for one specific flow condition. It was found that the axisymmetric source term generates a numerical instability that appears as shock bending. This instability is time dependent which greatly affects the shock speed. Post-shock conditions are discussed and compared to CEA equilibrium prediction and good agreement was obtained close to the test-section and just behind the shock

Measurement and Prediction of Radiative Non-Equilibrium for Air Shocks Between 7-9 km/s

The present paper describes a recent characterization of thermochemical non-equilibrium for shock speeds between 7 and 9 km/s in the NASA Ames Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) Facility. Data are spectrally resolved from 190-1450 nm and spatially resolved behind the shock front. The data are analyzed in terms of a spectral non-equilibrium metric, defined as the average radiance within +/- 2 cm of the peak. Simulations with DPLR/NEQAIR using different rate chemistries show these conditions to be poorly replicated. The sources of discrepancy are examined, leading to an update to the NEQAIR non-Boltzmann model and DPLR rate chemistry. New parameters for the rate chemistry and non-Boltzmann modeling are reported

Analysis of Shockwave Radiation Data in Nitrogen

Data from test series in the Electric Arc Shock Tube Facility were previously reportedfor velocities spanning 6-12 km/s in pure N2 at a freestream pressure of 0.2 Torr. The testseries provided spectrally- and spatially-resolved data for validation of a number of modelsof physical phenomena, including vibrational relaxation, molecular radiation, nitrogendissociation and ionization, and atomic radiation and ionization. In the present workanalysis of data obtained at a nominal velocity of 10.3 km/s is discussed in detail. Spectraare analyzed to extract temperatures and the densities of excited states as a function ofposition behind the shock. The effect of different methods for calculating state populationsand ionization processes is assessed, as is a rigorous assessment of the atomic line lists, withboth missing and extra lines identified

Current Status of Shock Layer Radiation Studies for Planetary Probes

Radiative heating by the shock layer gases surrounding an entry probe is an important heating mechanism for many planetary entries. The magnitude of radiative heating for planetary atmospheres may be characterized with flight similarity in a shock tube capable of obtaining flight relevant velocities and atmospheric density/composition. Over the last decade, studies performed in the Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) at NASA Ames have characterized the radiative heating magnitudes for most relevant planetary destinations: Mars, Venus, Titan, Saturn, Uranus. Predictions of heating for a given entry trajectory are simulated by a combination of hypersonic flowfield modeling and the radiation code, NEQAIR, and then compared to the EAST test data. This paper will discuss the measurements, summarize the current simulation capability and provide indications for destination specific radiative heating uncertainties