Aerodynamics of Continuous and Rarefied Flows (IIND-01/F, 6 CFU) [1056514]

Special Master of Aerospace Engineering (Year: , Semester: 1)

The course is co-taught with Prof. Parisse (teaching Part 1) and aims to study the peculiar aerodynamic phenomena that occur in launchers, rockets, spacecraft and suborbital vehicles.

Part 2: Hypersonic and rarefied flows (3 CFU)

This part of the course presents techniques for the aerodynamic design of vehicles moving in high Mach number/enthalpy flows and in rarefied regimes. Using theoretical and numerical models, we discuss how to design vehicle geometries to achieve the desired aerodynamic coefficients and stability and control derivatives.

Module 1: Cold hypersonic flow

(1) Hypersonic flows around slender conical bodies: (a) general equations, (b) numerical solution, (c) Krasnov and High approximate solutions.

(2) Approximate theories for the determination of the pressure coefficient: (a) Newtonian, (b) Buseman and Lees corrections, (c) shock-expansion theory.

(3) Hypersonic wind tunnels and nonintrusive diagnostics.

Module 2: The re-entry problem

(1) Effects of high-enthalpy aerodynamics on re-entry spacecraft.

(2) The re-entry corridor: (a) capsule and (b) lifting-body vehicles. 

(3) Plasma wind tunnels and nonintrusive diagnostics.

Module 3: Rarefied-flow aerodynamics

(1) The Knudsen number and Maxwell equations.

(2) Accomodation coefficients and aerodynamic forces.

(3) Effects of the aerodynamic coefficients on the orbital and attitude dynamics of a spacecraft.