Aerothermodynamic analysis of spacecraft during its atmospheric reentry flight

Based on existing OREX (orbital reentry experiment vehicle) flight experiment data and the CFD numerical results, the OREX reentry trajectory and heat flux at the stagnation point under thermal non-equilibrium and equilibrium conditions were analyzed respectively with heat transfer theory and corresponding formulas. The calculation results of the trajectory and the temperature as well as the heat flux at the stagnation point under the thermal non-equilibrium condition agreed well with the experiment data and CFD numerical results, including that the corresponding calculation method might be used in the thermal analysis of spacecraft's stagnation point. However under the equilibrium condition, although the calculated heat flux at the stagnation point showed little difference to the former CFD numerical results, the calculated temperature under this condition didn't match the experiment data, which should be attributed to the insensitivity of the heat flux to the variation of the temperature at the stagnation point. The comparison of calculations under thermal non-equilibrium and equilibrium conditions shows that merely focusing on heat flux of spacecrafts in its reentry flight is risky, paying attention to its temperature might be more important. © 2016, Editorial Department of Journal of Aerospace Power. All right reserved.