Improved Modelling of Radiative Heating Effects for Hypersonic Planetary Entry Vehicles

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A greater understanding of the physics involved in atmospheric entry is required before a manned mission to Mars is viable from an engineering perspective.An outstanding problem relevant to this goal is the accurate modelling of radiative heating due to high-temperature CO2. This has recently been identified as a significant source of heat load on an entry vehicle in a flow regime where traditionally radiative heating is not an issue. However, current predictive models have been shown to disagree with experiment on several fronts.The work completed to date to develop an experimental facility allows the simulation of the aerothermodynamic flow conditions present during atmospheric entry. The proposed facility is shown to be capable of achieving the desired flow conditions, of producing high-quality results, and of demonstrating unique research potential for shock-layer radiation studies.The main aim of the thesis is to experimentally investigate radiative heating due to mid-wave infrared (MWIR) radiation in Martian-simulant gas mixtures. As will be discussed, significant uncertainties - with relevance for future missions - exist in this area. The work will confirm previous results, produce new data of interest and, finally, propose improvements to existing modelling tools which will enable prediction of vehicle radiative heating with greater confidence.In support of these aims time has been spent on the development of the new T6 aluminium shock tube (AST). This facility will be the highest enthalpy ground test facility in Europe when complete, providing a unique capability for the study of aerothermodynamic effects. To ensure that the potential of this resource is fully realised a series of modelling exercises have been carried out, confirming the required performance is achievable. Developing a more in-depth understanding of the eventual capabilities of the facility has in turn allowed a more pragmatic review of current literature in the field, with future work being planned to exploit the shock tube's strengths.