https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?

R=19930088771 2018-07-18T16:21:40+00:00Z

- NACA
RESEARCH MEMORANDUM

AERODYNAMIC HEATING O F ROCKET-POWERED RESEARCH

I VEHICLES AT HYPERSONIC SPEEDS

B y Robert 0.Piland and Katherine A. Collie

Langley Aeronautical L a b o r a t o r y
Langley Field, Va.

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

FOR AERONAUTICS
WASHINGTON
I' I
Y 1955
J ~ 19,
Declassified September 1, 1959
NACA RM L57ElOc

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS

RESEARCH WORANDIIM

AERODYNAMIC HEATING OF ROCKET-POWERED RESEKRCH

VEHICLES AT HYPERSONIC SPEEDS
By Robert 0. Piland and Katherine A. C o l l i e

SUMMARY

Skin temperature measurements have been obtained on two f r e e - f l i g h t

research vehicles; measurements were made up t o Mach numbers of 5.4 i n
one case and up t o 10.4 i n t h e other. On t h e f i r s t model (M = 5.4),
temperature measurements were obtained a t nine s t a t i o n s (between 6.5
and 29 inches) along the 1 5 O conical nose. The temperature d i s t r i b u t i o n
along the nose, a t a Mach number of 5.4, indicated t r a n s i t i o n t o have
occurred a t a Reynolds nunher of about 9 X 106. The t h e o r i e s of Van
Driest f o r laminas and turbulent flow proved adequate f o r predicting
the skin temperature h i s t o r i e s f o r laminar and turbulent s t a t i o n s ,
respectively.

A skin temperature h i s t o r y was obtained a t a single s t a t i o n

(26.6 inches from tip)on a fineness-ratio-? K&& nose shape t o a
Mach number of 10.4. The peak skin temperature of 1 , 2 0 0 ~F occurred
s h o r t l y a f t e r the time of peak Mach number and calculations i n d i c a t e
tha,t at t h i s time the convective heat t r a n s f e r t o the model was being
balanced by r a d i a t i v e heat t r a n s f e r away from the model. The theory of
Van Driest was used i n calculating a skin temperature and appeared
adequate up t o a Mach n u d e r of about 6. Above t h i s value, t h e r e i s
some divergence between calculated and measured data, possibly due t o the
existence of other than turbulent flow over the measuring s t a t i o n .

It i s well known t h a t t h e problem of aerodynamic heating becomes

more severe with increasing Mach number. In order t o determine j u s t
what heating conditions w i l l be encountered a t higher Mach numbers,
research vehicles a r e being f l i g h t t e s t e d , a t present, t o Mach numbers
as high as 10.4.

The purpose of t h i s paper i s t o present and discuss s k i n temperature

measurements from two f l i g h t t e s t s . Temperature measurements were obtained
t o a Mach number of 5.4 on t h e f i r s t f l i g h t and t o a Mach number of 10.4
on the second f l i g h t .
 NACA RM L55ElOe

Mach number

Reynolds number

s t a t i c temperature, degrees Rankine

skin temperature, degrees Fahrenheit

length on which Reynolds number calculation i s based

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figure 1presents t h e v a r i a t i o n of s t a t i c temperature, Mach number,

a l t i t u d e , and Reynolds nuniber per foot with f l i g h t time f o r a three-
stage vehicle which had a l 5 O t o t a l angle conical nose.

F i w r e 2 presents t h e v a r i a t i o n of skin temperature with time meas-

ured a t a distance of 29 inches from t h e nose t i p . The nose cone was
constructed of 0.027-inch-thick Inconel. The maximum measured tempera-
t u r e i s seen t o be 1 , 9 0 0 ~F, a t which time (23.7 seconds ) t h e vehicle
i s a t a Mach n u d e r of 3.4.

A temperature h i s t o r y has been calculated using t h e turbulent theory

of Van Driest ( r e f . 1) applying a conversion f a c t o r t o make it applicable
t o the cone ( r e f . 2). Turbulent flow was assumed t o e x i s t from t h e nose
t i p , m d the recovery f a c t o r used i n calculating the adiabatic w a l l
temperature was assumed equal t o the cube root of the Prandtl number P r 1/3
based on skin temperature ( r e f . 2). The r a t i o of s p e c i f i c heats y was
taken equal t o 1.4. The calculo.ted temperature h i s t o r y i s indicated by
t h e symbols i n f i g u r e 2 and i s seen t o be i n good agreement with t h e
measured temperature history.

I n addition t o the temperatures measured a t s t a t i o n 29, measurements

were a l s o made a t e i g h t other s t a t i o n s along t h e same 150 cone. Figure 3
presents the v a r i a t i o n of skin temperature along t h e nose cone a t a par-
t i c u l a r time during the f l i g h t . The f l i g h t time considered i s 23.7 sec-
onds a t which time t h e Mach number i s 5.4 and the Reynolds number per
foot i s 9.8 X 106. The measured temperature i s indicated by the s o l i d
l i n e and the t.icks on t h i s curve and along the center l i n e of the cone
indicate the s t a t i o n s a t which t h e temperature measurements were made.
 NACA RM L55ElOc

The shape of the measured curve indicates regions of laminar, t r a n s i -

t i o n a l , and a t l e a s t t h e e a r l y stages of turbulent flow. The abrupt
change i n slope of t h e temperature curve i n d i c a t e s t h a t t r a n s i t i o n from
laminar flow began a t a Reynolds number of about 9 X 106. It i s i n t e r -
e s t i n g t o note t h a t , i n a f l i g h t time of only 23.7 seconds, a difference
of YO0 F e x i s t s between laminar-station and turbulent-station tempera-
t u r e measurements .
The lower broken l i n e i n f i g u r e 3 i n d i c a t e s temperatures calculated
using t h e laminar theory of V a n Driest ( r e f . 3 ) ) applying a conversion
f a c t o r t o make it applicable t o t h e cone ( r e f . 2). The recovery f a c t o r
was assumed equal t o t h e square root of the Prandtl nuplber ( r e f . 2).
F a i r agreement i s seen t o e x i s t between t h e measured and calculated d a t a
a t the s t a t i o n s where t h e laminar flow is believed t o e x i s t .

The upper broken l i n e i n f i g u r e 3 indicates temperatures calculated

using t h e turbulent theory of Van Driest as described previously. Toward
t h e a f t end of t h e cone ( s t a t i o n 29)) where it i s believed turbulent flow
e x i s t s , the agreement between t h e measured and calculated d a t a i s q u i t e
good.

1,et us now consider temperature measurements t o a Mach number of 10.4

obtained during the f l i g h t t e s t of a four-stage vehicle, which is des-
cribed i n reference 4.

Figure 4 presents the v a r i a t i o n of s t a t i c temperature, Mach number,

a l t i t u d e , and Reynolds number a t t h e temperature measuring s t a t i o n , f o r
t h e t e s t vehicle. The nose shape on which t h e temperature measurements
were made was a fineness-ratio-? K&& nose shape whose t i p was modi-
f i e d t o form a l 5 O t o t a l angle wedge. The nose skin was of 0.032-inch-
t h i c k Inconel. A sketch of the nose shape i s presented i n f i g u r e 5 and
the temperature measuring s t a t i o n i s shown t o be 26.6 .inches a f t of t h e
nose t i p . The v a r i a t i o n of skin temperature with time is a l s o presented
i n f i g u r e 3 and i s indicated by the s o l i d l i n e . A peak temperature
of 1,2000 F i s seen t o have been reached j u s t a f t e r peak Mach nuuiber.
A t t h i s time, the heating p o t e n t i a l i s s t i l l considerably higher than
t h e skin temperature, and considering only convective heat t r a n s f e r a
peak temperature would not have been expected u n t i l a l a t e r f l i g h t time.
The explanation f o r the peak a t t h i s time i s t h a t t h e convective heat
t r m s f e r t o t h e s k i n i s being balanced by the r a d i a t i v e heat t r a n s f e r
away from the skin. Keeping t h i s i n mind, consider t h e temperature his-
t o r y calculated using t h e turbulent theory of Van Driest ( r e f . 1) f o r a
cone end including r a d i a t i v e heat t r a n s f e r . The calculated values (square
symbols) agree quite w e l l t o about 28 seconds, a t i m e which corresponds
t o a Mach number of about 6. A t t h i s point t h e measured and calculated
values diverge and a t t h e time of peak measured temperature the calculated
c w ~ ei s s t i l l r i s i n g r a p i d l y , However, i f t r a m i t i o n t o laminay flow
i s a r b i t r a r i l y assumed t o occur a t a Reynolds n u ~ b e rof 5 X 106 and
laminar h e a t - t r a n s f e r c o e f f i c i e n t s are used, t h e p o i n t s i n d i c a t e d by
t h e s o l i d square symbols a r e obtained. The inference i s t h a t laminar
flow must have a c t u a l l y e x i s t e d on t h e model a t t h i s time of peak temper-
~ t u r e . Calculations are a l s o presented considering f l a t - p l a t e theory;
t h e s e a r e i n d i c a t e d by the c i r c u l a r symbgls. A t t h e higher temperatures,
t h e agreement between t h e f l a t - p l a t e c a l c u l a t i o n s and t h e measured d a t a
i: b e t t e r than t h e c a l c u l a t i o n s f o r t h e cone; t h i s i s probably f o r t u i t o u s
and may be due t o t h e existence of t r a n s i t i o n a , l r a t h e r than t u r b u l e n t
flow over t h e measuring s t a t i o n f o r some time i n t e r v a l p r i o r t o time of
peak temperature. The primary purpose of making t h e f l a t - p l a t e calcu-
l a t i o n s was t o determine t h e d i f f e r e n c e i n estimated maximum temperature
occasioned by using t h e simpler f l a t - p l a t e procedure. The d i f f e r e n c e
i s seen t o be about 15 percent.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

The following observations are made from t h e d a t a presented here:

1. Free-f l i g h t skin-temperature measurements have i n d i c a t e d

t r a n s i t i o n t o occur on a c o n i c a l nose a t a Reynolds number of
about 9 X 106 a t a Mach number of 5.4.
2. The t h e o r i e s of Van D r i e s t f o r t u r b u l e n t and laminar heat-
t r a n s f e r c o e f f i c i e n t s appear adequate f o r c a l c u l a t i n g s k i n temperature
h i s t o r i e s t o Mach numbers on t h e order of 6.

3. Radiative h e a t t r a n s f e r a t Mach numbers of 10 can play an

important r o l e i n t h e determination of peak s k i n temperature.

Langley Aeronautical Laboratory,

National Advisory Committee f o r Aeronautics,
Lmgley F i e l d , Va., A p r i l 26, 1955.
NACA Rf4 Lrj5El.G~

I , Van D r i e s t , E. R.: The Turbulent Boundary Layer f o r Compressible

Fluids on a F l a t P l a t e With Heat Tm.nsfer. Rep, No, A2-997,
North American Aviation, Inc., Jan. 27, 1950,

2. Eckert, Ernst R. G.: Survey on Heat Transfer a t High Speeds. WADC

Tech, Rep. 54-70, Wright A i r Dev. Center, U. S. Air Force,
Apr. 1954.

3. Van D r i e s t , E. R.: I n v e s t i g a t i o n of Laminar Boundary Layer i n Com-

p r e s s i b l e Fluids Using t h e Crocco Method. NACA TN 2597, 1952.

4. Piland, Robert 0.: Performance Measurements From a Rocket-Powered

Exploratory Research Missile Flown t o a Mach Number of 10.4,
NACA RM ~54L29a, 1955.
 NACA RM L55E10c

FLIGHT CONDITIONS FOR MODEL TESTED

UP TO M=5.4

8.5" DIAM. loo

' DAM.

M ALT., F T
6-
- SOX lo3
------- - _ _
-----__
4- - 40

- 20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
TIME, SEC

Figure 1
MEASURED AND CALCULATED TEMPERATURE HISTORY
TO A MACH NUMBER OF 5.4
P
-
29
'
'~
-
j r TEMR MEAS.

-MEAS.
0 TURB.,CONE
(VAN DRIEST THEORY)

TIME, SEC

Figure 2

MEASURED AND CALCULATED TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION

FLIGHT TIME, 23.7 SEC; M =59;R/FT=9.8%lo6
VAN DRIEST THEORY
----_------ - ----- TURB., CONE
/

I I I I 1
0 10 20 30 40
STATION, IN.

Figure 3
 NACA FM L55ELOc

'9
FLIGHT CONDITIONS FOR MODEL TESTED UP TO M-10.4
r6a' ~liivl;,,
19.3"DlAM.
-, ALT., FTRz-26.6"
120x103 60x106

Figure 4

MEASURED AND CALCULATED TEMPERATURE HISTORY TO A MACH NUMBER

OF 10.4

TIME, SEC

Figure 5

NACA - Langley Field, Va.