The gas-surface modeling of high-density materials exposed to high-pressure atmospheric reentry conditions was extended to include low-density materials interacting with low-pressure atmospheric conditions. The fully implicit ablation thermal response code and multicomponent ablation thermochemistry program were extended to include nonequilibrium surface conditions for the Stardust return capsule. The Stardust return capsule reentered Earth's atmosphere experiencing low pressure and had a low-density heat shield material. The material response of the Stardust return capsule was previously only modeled with surface equilibrium. Validation against Stardust reentry flight data showed that the equilibrium assumption led to an overprediction of recession and that the inclusion of nonequilibrium reduced the overprediction of this parameter. Incorporating the Park finite rate model nonequilibrium surface conditions led to a reduction in the calculated value of recession at the stagnation point from 1.12 to 0.72 cm in a nominal simulation of the Stardust return capsule. The nonequilibrium recession was closer to the measured recession of 0.65 cm. Incorporating nonequilibrium conditions also decreased the calculated total heat load from 28 to 19 kJ=cm 2 . The improved material response method is applicable to a range of reentries, including future missions such as the Orion crew exploration vehicle.
NomenclatureB = preexponential factor, s 1 B 0 = dimensionless mass blowing rate, _ m= e u e C M C H = Stanton number for heat transfer C i = mass fraction for species i C M = Stanton number for mass transfer c p = specific heat, J=kg-K D i = diffusion coefficient for species i, m 2 =s E = activation temperature, K F = view factor H r = recovery enthalpy, J=kg h = enthalpy, J=kg h = partial heat of charring, J=kg k = Boltzmann constant, J=K M = molecular weight, kg=mole m = mass, kg _ m = mass flux, kg=m 2 s p = pressure, N=m 2 q c = conductive heat flux, W=m 2 q rad = radiative heat flux, W=m 2 T = temperature, K u = velocity, m=s v w = mass injection velocity, m=s x = moving coordinate system, y s, m Y = element mass fraction y = stationary coordinate, m = surface absorption = efficiency of gas-surface interaction = volume faction of resin " = surface emissivity = blowing reduction parameter = density, kg=m 3 = Stefan-Boltzmann constant, W=m 2 K 4 = decomposition reaction order Subscripts c = char d = density component e = boundary-layer edge g = pyrolysis gas i = surface species k = element or gaseous base species s = surface v = original w = wall