Speaker
Description
Previous investigations have demonstrated how flowfield modelling can effect predicted level of radiation on a prospect future demonstrator-vehicle concept entering at hyperbolic velocity (Merrifield 2014). Thus far, sensitivities within the radiation database have only be briefly examined (Joiner 2015) by comparing PARADE and NEQAIR radiation databases. A significant difference uncovered in this brief analysis was that PARADE produced considerably higher intensities of N2 radiation than NEQAIR.
PARADE is the European Plasma Radiation Database and is freely available to ESA entities. There has been a considerable gap in the active development of this database (~5 years) but development is scheduled to restart soon to support the operation of ESTHER, a European high enthalpy shock tube designed to investigate radiation physics and shock layer kinetics associated with planetary entry. Given this gap in development, it is prudent to gauge the status of PARADE against other available databases, particularly with respect to high speed Earth return. In the first instance, this will proceed by a detailed comparison with results obtained from SPARTAN. The practical significance of the uncovered differences and uncertainties will be discussed in relation to effects on entry vehicle design justification and necessitated future studies to progress the state of knowledge and the capability of European Plasma radiation databases.
Summary
Comparison of Plasma Radiation Databases for High Speed Earth Return
