Date of Award

Summer 1990

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Program/Concentration

Mechanical Engineering

Committee Director

Surendra N. Tiwari

Committee Member

Robert E. Smith

Committee Member

Jamshid S. Abolhassani

Call Number for Print

Special Collections; LD4331.E56S75

Abstract

A number of vehicles are currently being proposed for a manned mission to Mars. One of these vehicles has a modified blunt-nosed cone configuration. Experimental results have been obtained for this vehicle in 1968. These results show lift-over-drag ratios comparable to those needed for Mars entry. Computations are performed here to verify the earlier results and to further describe the flight characteristics of this vehicle.

An analytical method is used to define the surface of this vehicle. A single-block volume grid is generated around the vehicle using an algebraic Two-Boundary Grid Generation algorithm (TBGG) and transfinite interpolation. Euler solutions are then obtained from a Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm (LAURA) at Mach 6.0 and angles of attack of 0, 6, and 12 degrees.

The lift coefficient determined from the LAURA code agrees very well with the experimental results obtained in the 1968 study of this vehicle. The drag and pitching moment coefficients, however, are underestimated by the code since viscous effects are not considered. Contour plots of the flowfield show no evidence of separation for angles of attack up to 12 degrees.

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In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/yg2m-6j11

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