Feasibility Study of Flight Experiment for Electrodynamic Heatshield Technology

Paper number

IAC-08.D3.2.10

Author

Dr. Takashi Abe, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan

Year

2008

Abstract

Spacecrafts which are able to be  decelerated by fling  though planetary atmosphere have many applications such as reentry, aerobraking and aerocapture vehicles.  For such vehicles, it is required not only to protect themselves from severe aerodynamic heating but also to enhance their capability for deceleration.  In a conventional way,  appropriate thermal protection system is employed to protect the vehicle for severe aerodynamic heating, and its capability to decelerate is almost determined by the spacecraft configuration.  Recently a new technology  which can resolve both the issues attracts much attention.  In the technology, the flow around the vehicle is controlled by magnetic field generated around the vehicle in a manner that a hot (thus weakly ionized) flow around the vehicle is pushed away  from the vehicle.  Such a flow control  enables us not only to reduce the heat-flux but also to enhance the deceleration capability due to the response of the flow control. 

So far, the technology have been investigated not only experimentally but also theoretically[1].   Naturally the efficiency of the flow control depends on characteristics of  the weakly ionized flow around the vehicle such as electric conductivity which is determined through chemical reactions in the  highly-heated atmospheric gas.   Unfortunately  no existing ground facility can generate the exact flight environment simulating such  highly-complicated chemical reactions.  Therefore it is necessary for the technology to be flight-proven for future possible applications.  In the present paper, we will discuss about a feasibility study  for such a flight experiment including the measurement systems to be mounted on the vehicle to  prove the technology.

References
[1] M. Kawamura, A. Matsuda and H. Katsurayama, H. Otsu, D. Konigorski, S. Sato and T. Abe, "Experimental Study on Drag Enhancement in Electrodynamic Heat Shield for a Blunt Body in a Weakly Ionized Plasma Flow,"  AIAA-2007-3889, 2007.

Abstract document

IAC-08.D3.2.10.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-08.D3.2.10.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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