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Scott, C. D.

Publications and source records attributed to Scott, C. D..

35 records · Page 2

Surface-slip equations for low-Reynolds-number multicomponent gas flows

Equations have been obtained for jump (or slip) in the wall values of species concentration, pressure, velocity, and temperature for the low-Reynolds-number high-altitude flight regime of a space vehicle. The analysis, based on the Chapman-Enskog method as applied by Shidlovskiy for a single-species gas, includes multicomponent diffusion with finite-rate surface catalytic recombination. A consistent set of equations is provided for multicomponent, binary, and single species mixtures.

Gupta, R. N.↗

Surface-slip equations for low-Reynolds-number multicomponent gas flows

Equations have been obtained for jump (or slip) in the wall values of species concentration, pressure, velocity, and temperature for the low-Reynolds-number high-altitude flight regime of a space vehicle. The analysis, based on the Chapman-Enskog method as applied by Shidlovskiy for a single-species gas, includes multicomponent diffusion with finite-rate surface catalytic recombination. A consistent set of equations is provided for multicomponent, binary, and single species mixtures.

Gupta, R. N.↗

A review of nonequilibrium effects and surface catalysis on shuttle heating

A review is given of the nonequilibrium calculation techniques by various authors over the past decade to predict heat fluxes to the windward side of the Space Shuttle orbiter. The results of these techniques are compared with measurements made on the first few flights of the Space Shuttle. The calculations attempt to account for finite rate chemistry in the shock layer around the vehicle and for finite rate catalytic atom recombination on the thermal protection materials. The techniques considered are the axisymmetric viscous shock layer method, three dimensional reacting Euler equation solutions coupled with axisymmetric analog boundary layer method, and a recently developed nonequilibrium 3-D viscous shock layer method.

Scott, C. D.↗

Effects of nonequilibrium and surface catalysis on Shuttle heat transfer - A review

It is pointed out that the Space Shuttle Orbiter is a hypersonic glide reentry vehicle which spends much of its entry time at relatively tenuous altitudes in which chemical nonequilibrium predominates in the shock layer. On the windward side, dissociation nonequilibrium exists in the inviscid layer and recombination nonequilibrium exists in the boundary layer. The present investigation is concerned with an evaluation of various flowfield predictions, taking into account a comparison of equilibrium and nonequilibrium flowfields coupled with reacting axisymmetric analog boundary-layer solutions and the results of viscous-shock-layer solutions with flight temperature/heat-flux measurements near the windward centerline for the Shuttle flights STS-2, STS-3, and STS-5.

Scott, C. D.↗

Catalytic recombination of nitrogen and oxygen on iron-cobalt-chromia spinel

The energy-transfer catalytic recombination coefficient for nitrogen and oxygen recombination on iron-cobalt-chromia spinel is inferred from stagnation-point heat flux measurements in dissociated arc-jet flow. This material was coated on several Space Shuttle Orbiter thermal protection tiles. The resulting coefficients are correlated with an Arrhenius model for convenience, and these expressions may be used to account for catalytic recombination in predictions of the heat flux on the spinel-coated tiles flown on several Space Shuttle Orbiter flights. The results are compared with those inferred by Rakich, Stewart, and Lanfranco from an Orbiter flight and arc-jet experiments. Good agreement is obtained for oxygen recombination, but agreement for nitrogen is poor.

Scott, C. D.↗

Catalytic recombination and Space Shuttle heating

The measurement of surface temperatures on the thermal protection materials of the Space Shuttle Orbiter during reentry provides the basis for an important test of the prediction techniques developed over the past 10 years for reacting flows over reentry vehicles. The present investigation is concerned with comparisons of calculated temperatures with those measured during the second and third Space Shuttle missions. The general trends of the calculations compared favorably with the measurements. However, the calculations overpredicted the temperatures on the forward part of the windward centerline. Agreement was better farther aft, especially at the later times in the entry. The investigation has pointed out the significance of surface chemical reactions on the heat flux to the surface of the Orbiter and the need for further understanding.

Scott, C. D.↗

Space Shuttle orbiter entry heating and TPS response: STS-1 predictions and flight data

Aerothermodynamic development flight test data from the first orbital flight test of the Space Transportation System (STS) transmitted after entry blackout is given. Engineering predictions of boundary layer transition and numerical simulations of the orbiter flow field were confirmed. The data tended to substantiate preflight predictions of surface catalysis phenomena. The thermal response of the thermal protection system was as expected. The only exception is that internal free convection was found to be significant in limiting the peak temperature of the structure in areas which do not have internal insulation.

Ried, R. C.↗

Space Shuttle laminar heating with finite-rate catalytic recombination

Temperature-dependent catalytic recombination coefficients are used to calculate the heat flux to the Space Shuttle Orbiter. With variable entropy boundary-layer edge properties obtained from a reacting inviscid flow-field calculation, the reacting boundary-layer equations are solved along the forward 50 percent of the windward centerline using the boundary-layer integral matrix procedure. The results are compared with fully catalytic and noncatalytic reacting solutions, with equilibrium solutions, and with the Orbiter-design heating rates. The fully catalytic heat fluxes are about equal to the equilibrium predictions; whereas, the finite catalytic results are about 12 to 27 percent lower than the fully catalytic results (approaching the noncatalytic results downstream) and as much as 30 to 50 percent lower than design predictions away from the nose area.

Scott, C. D.↗

Catalytic recombination of nitrogen and oxygen on high-temperature reusable surface insulation

The energy transfer catalytic recombination coefficient for nitrogen and oxygen recombination on the surface coating of high-temperature reusable surface insulation (HRSI) is inferred from stagnation point heat flux measurements in a high-temperature dissociated arc jet flow. The resulting catalytic recombination coefficients are correlated with an Arrhenius model for convenience, and these expressions may be used to account for catalytic recombination effects in predictions of the heat flux on the HRSI thermal protection system of the Space Shuttle Orbiter during reentry flight. Analysis of stagnation point pressure and total heat balance enthalpy measurements indicates that the arc heater reservoir conditions are not in chemical equilibrium. This is contrary to what is usually assumed for arc jet analysis and indicates the need for suitable diagnostics and analyses, especially when dealing with chemical reaction phenomena such as catalytic recombination heat transfer effects.

Scott, C. D.↗

Gap heating with pressure gradients

The heating rate distribution and temperature response on the gap walls of insulating tiles is analyzed to determine significant phenomena and parameters in flows where there is an external surface pressure gradient. Convective heating due to gap flow, modeled as fully developed pipe flow, is coupled with a two-dimensional thermal model of the tiles that includes conduction and radiative heat transfer. To account for geometry and important environmental parameters, scale factors are obtained by curve-fitting measured temperatures to analytical solutions. These scale factors are then used to predict the time-dependent gap heat flux and temperature response of tile gaps on the Space Shuttle Orbiter during entry.

Scott, C. D.↗

Shuttle elevon cove aerodynamic heating by internal flow

The thermal response of the cove seal area of the Shuttle elevon wing junction is investigated in an arc heated supersonic duct. The temperature response of the seal area is measured for various seal gap widths, ambient pressures, and enthalpies to determine the dependence of internal heating on these parameters. A correlation of the results shows that the internal heating to the seal is proportional to the product of the external pressure, the gap width and the square root of the total enthalphy. Temperatures at the end of a simulated Shuttle entry compare well with predictions based on this correlation for the narrower gap widths where there is only a small pressure drop at the cove inlet. Similar predictions are made for Shuttle flight as a function of seal gap widths to determine the maximum gap width allowable, yet not exceed design temperatures on the structure.

Scott, C. D.↗

Viscous reacting flows with wall slip and catalysis applied to spheres in arc jets and flight

The influence of wall slip and catalytic atom-recombination on the flow field and wall heat flux are calculated for high altitude flight and arc jet flow conditions. Boundary equations, which include velocity slip, temperature jump, and wall catalytic atom recombination, are coupled to the viscous reacting multicomponent Navier-Stokes equations. These equations are solved using a time-dependent finite difference technique applied to spheres in an arc jet flow (Reynolds number of 550) and a high altitude flight case representative of the Space Shuttle Orbiter (Reynolds number of 450). The results indicate that catalysis strongly influences the temperature jump, but not the velocity slip. Slip increases the atom fraction and temperature at both the wall and the flow field. Likewise, the shock stand-off distance, the wall heat flux, and friction coefficient are increased over the nonslip cases. The reacting gas calculations confirm the chemically frozen nature of the shock layer in arc jet flows.

Scott, C. D.↗

An experimental and analytical study of slip and catalytic boundary conditions applied to spheres in low Reynolds number arc jet flows

Measurements of low-density dissociated arc-heated flows around low and high surface catalycity spheres are compared with numerical solutions to the full Navier-Stokes equations for reacting gas flow fields, taking into account slip and finite surface catalytic boundary conditions. A time-dependent finite difference solution technique developed by Li (1973, 1974) is used in the investigation and a simple transport model is employed for the flows considered. The correctness of the solution approach is demonstrated by the very good agreement obtained between experimental and computational data.

Scott, C. D.↗

Wall boundary equations with slip and catalysis for multicomponent, nonequilibrium gas flows

Boundary equations obtained for a low Reynolds number, high enthalpy gas flow in regions of velocity slip and temperature jump are presented. The formulation treats, through a first-order distribution function used to include multicomponent diffusion, a multicomponent gas mixture that may be in nonequilibrium with finite-rate catalytic recombination occurring on the wall. In the boundary equations, which are obtained for use in flow-field calculations applicable to low-density flow regimes, a simplified gas/wall interaction is assumed wherein individual atoms or molecules either reflect specularly off the wall or stick and are fully accommodated. Fluxes in terms of evaluated integrals over the distribution function and integrals necessary for determining fluxes are given.

Scott, C. D.↗

Measured catalycities of various candidate space shuttle thermal protection system coatings at low temperatures

Atom recombination catalytic rates for surface coatings of various candidate thermal protection system materials for the space shuttle vehicle were obtained from measurements in arc jet, air flow. The coatings, chrome oxides, siliconized carbon/carbon, hafnium/tantalum carbide on carbon/carbon, and niobium silicide, were bonded to the sensitive surface of transient slug calorimeters that measured the heat transfer rates to the coatings. The catalytic rates were inferred from these heat transfer rates Surface temperatures of the calorimeters varied from approximately 300 to 410 K.

Scott, C. D.↗

Calculation of quasi-static helium triplet diffuse line profiles

Calculated spectral line profiles (intensity distributions) of the helium triplet diffuse series were obtained using the quasi-static approximation for ions and electrons. In these calculations, Doppler broadening, although negligible in most of the cases, was included as a device to avoid singularities. Plots and tabulations of the calculated profiles are presented, in addition to a discussion of the computational procedure and the validity of the calculations.

Scott, C. D.↗