Definition of the aerothermal environment is critical to any vehicle such as the HL-20 Personnel Launch System that operates within the hypersonic flight regime. Selection of an appropriate thermal protection system design is highly dependent on the accuracy of the heating-environment prediction. It is demonstrated that the entry environment determines the thermal protection system design for this vehicle. The methods used to predict the thermal environment for the HL-20 Personnel Launch System vehicle are described. Comparisons of the engineering solutions with computational fluid dynamic predictions, as well as wind-tunnel test results, show good agreement. The aeroheating predictions over several critical regions of the vehicle, including the stagnation areas of the nose and leading edges, windward centerline and wing surfaces, and leeward surfaces, are discussed. Results of predictions based on the engineering methods found within the MINIVER aerodynamic heating code are used in conjunction with the results of the extensive wind-tunnel tests on this configuration to define a flight thermal environment. Finally, the selection of the thermal protection system based on these predictions and current technology is described.


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    Title :

    Aerodynamic heating environment definition/thermal protection system selection for the HL-20


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    1993-10-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English


    Keywords :






    Aircraft aerodynamic thermal protection system

    CHEN WEI / ZHANG BIN / FANG HUAN et al. | European Patent Office | 2020

    Free access