2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Basic Researches on Planetary Aerobrake Technology
| Project/Area Number |
15106013
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Aerospace engineering
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
YASAKA Tetsuo Kyushu University, Faculty of Engineering, Special Guest Professor (80261238)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
ASO Shigeru KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Engineering, Professor (40150495)
UDA Nobuhide KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Engineering, Professor (20160260)
NISHIDA Michio Sojo University, Faculty of Engineering, Professor (10025968)
ABE Ken-ichi KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Engineering, Professor (20315104)
TANAKA Takushi KYUSHU UNVERSITY, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Professor (50038048)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2007
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| Keywords | Planetary Exploration / Aerobraking / Aerocapturing / Abration / Small Satellite |
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| Research Abstract |
The purpose of the research is to establish fundamental technologies related to Aerobrake which enables planetary explorers to be inserted into orbits around the planet with relatively small amount of propellant mass. The direct purposes are technology demonstration utilizing earth orbiting satellite and research of gas dynamics within planetary atmosphere which is dominated by hydrogen. In this last year of the research contract, an opportunity was not available to launch a demonstrator into earth orbit.
The flight unit was upgraded by: inclusion of re-programming capability, and mass reduction through unification of several units. Non-pyrotechnic separation device was repeatedly tested until possibility of implementation was verified. Extension rod has been put into environmental tests. In the area of attitude-orbit control, an effective orbit control was established by utilizing tether motion.
In the area of gas dynamics, hydrogen hypersonic rarefied gas analysis with hydrogen molecule rotation relaxation, vibration relaxation and chemical reactions provided feasibility of aerocapture in Jovian atmosphere. In the experiment, hypersonic hydrogen flow attained 8km/s with detonation invoked expansion tube. Carbon ablator was exposed to arc heated air and occurrence of spallation was confirmed through spectroscopic analysis of resultant gas components. To cope with a non-stationary large turbulence behind a strong shock wave, a novel model formulation was established introducing LES/RANS hybrid model which enhances precision.
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