MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

RE-ENTRY OF A SPACE VEHICLE

Name: Shaik Mukheet Ahmed

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 INTRODUCTION
Successful exploration of space

Transport payload

Return to Earth safely

Accomplishment
Research in high speed aerodynamics

Several aerodynamic parameters are to be studied

Re-entry Technology

Aerodynamic heating and Air loads

Thermal protection systems 2

 Aerodynamic Heating
• Re-entry vehicle has to survive aerodynamic heating
REASON
Kinetic Energy
{50-1800 MJ} Heat

Otherwise:[12,000deg F]Heat will vaporize the vehicle

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 PROBLEMS OF OVERHEATING OF
THE VEHICLE CAN BE REDUCED BY
• The diversion of heat by shock wave

• By radiating heat away from the hot surface of

the vehicle {TPS}

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The diversion of Heat by Strong Shock Wave

• By Molecular Interaction

• Phenomenon occurs in this way

1) Air molecules strike the forward surface
2) Then ,molecules bounce back
3) Rebounding molecules collide with
oncoming molecules

consequence: Prevents the heat transfer through direct impact or

drag along sides of the vehicle
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• H.Julian Alley and Alfred Eggers ,presented
blunt body re-entry techniques in 1958
Conclusions derived are
• Space craft with blunt nose produces the
strongest shock wave

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Shape determination and modeling of Sharp-Edged Re-entry
Vehicle

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• High L/D ratio lead to low peak
deceleration
• High speed global passenger
transport
• Control over the vehicle was
increased
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 Thermal Protection Systems using Ablative
Materials
• An ablative composite is a type of composites, which are used to protect
certain structure or equipment from the intense heat environment
• Ablation is the process of combustion where surface material decomposes
and protects the base material
• During the reentry, the surface of the charring ablator in a vehicle suffers
severe aerodynamic heating. The charring ablator is divided into four
layers, namely the virgin layer, the pyrolysis layer, the char layer and the
ablation layer

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 References
1) Allen, H. Julian; Eggers, A. J. Jr. (1958). ”A Study of the Motion and
Aerodynamic Heating of Ballistic Missiles Entering the Earth’s
Atmosphere at High Supersonic Speeds”. NACA Annual Report. NASA
Technical Reports 44.2 (NACA-TR–1381).
2) Guofu Liu, Daochun Li, Jinwu Xiang, Wenli Luo (2014), ” Design,
Modeling and Analysis of a Sharp-Edge Hypersonic Stealthy Re-entry
Vehicle” , Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Aerospace
Technology, APISAT2014.
3) Weijie Li , Haiming Huang , Xiaoliang Xu , Jin Guo (2016),” A new
mechanism of surface ablation of charring materials for a vehicle
during reentry”, Applied Thermal Engineering 106 (2016) 838–849.
4) NASA Aeronautics book series named “Coming Home”-Re-entry
from space.

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