What is it about?
During a rocket flight, the plasma generated by the rocket thruster can interfere with the radio frequency transmission, leading to possible failure of the mission. Predicting this phenomenon using Computational Fluid Dynamics coupled with Electromagnetic simulation is possible. However, the results for altitudes above 100 km differed from the flight data. This work aims to describe atmospheric rarefaction better to improve prediction.
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Why is it important?
The loss of telemetry can lead to communication failure, especially for small look angles when the plume occults the line of sight between the vehicle and the ground station. This problem can be avoided by building and using more ground stations, relying on satellite communication, or restricting the vehicle's attitude to maintain large look angles. Thus, accurately studying and estimating the extent of the attenuation is a high priority when optimizing the launch systems.
Perspectives
The hybrid methodology used in this publication allowed us to account for the rarefaction of the atmosphere, providing more accurate plume expansion. Consequently, the blackout critical angle agrees with the experimental data. However, the stiffness of the attenuation curve is underestimated compared to flight data. The main improvement point would be the low-temperature chemical computation, which is challenging to handle. Other factors, such as the gas equilibrium assumption for the alumina particles should also be investigated.
virgile charton
Nagoya University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Prediction of In-Flight Telemetry Attenuation by a Ionized Solid Rocket Engine Plume at High Altitude Using a Continuous-Rarefied Simulation Methodology, July 2024, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2024-4597.
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