Hypervelocity flow over spheres

Abstract

Some aspects of the principle of binary scaling of hypervelocity flows with chemical reactions are discussed and tested both numerically and experimentally. The experiments, obtained in a new free-piston shock tunnel, show the value and limitations of binary scaling in very good agreement with the numerical computations. The use of spherical models eliminates end-effect problems previously encountered with cylindrical models. Global quantities, such as the bow shock stand-off distance, follow binary scaling very well. The results include differential interferograms and surface heat transfer measurements of nitrogen, air and carbon dioxide flows.

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