Development of a Numerical Simulation Tool for the Aerothermal Flowthrough an Ablative Thermal Protection System for Atmospheric Entry

Schrooyen, Pierre [UCL] Magin, Thierry [von Karman Institute] Chatelain, Philippe [UCL]

The interaction between the mechanisms of ablation and boundary layer transition is one of the phenomena that leads to difficulties in heat-flux prediction during atmospheric entries. The objective of this work is to develop a computational tool based on a high-order discontinuous Galerkin method (DGM), that simulates and models the flow and wall phenomena in a unified approach. As a first step, a one-dimensional code has been developed for the in-depth thermal response of ablative materials. This paper demonstrates the capability of DGM for discretizing the highly-nonlinear problem equations, discusses specificities of the method to ensure stability, illustrates the subsequent validation, and reviews methods to model recession front.