A review of gas-surface interaction models for orbital aerodynamics applications

Abstract

Renewed interest in Very Low Earth Orbits (VLEO) - i.e. altitudes below 450 km - has led to an increased demand for accurate environment characterisation and aerodynamic force prediction. While the former requires knowledge of the mechanisms that drive density variations in the thermosphere, the latter also depends on the interactions between the gas-particles in the residual atmosphere and the surfaces exposed to the flow. The determination of the aerodynamic coefficients is hindered by the numerous uncertainties that characterise the physical processes occurring at the exposed surfaces. Several models have been produced over the last 60 years with the intent of combining accuracy with relatively simple implementations. In this paper the most popular models have been selected and reviewed using as discriminating factors relevance with regards to orbital aerodynamics applications and theoretical agreement with gas-beam experimental data. More sophisticated models were neglected, since their increased accuracy is generally accompanied by a substantial increase in computation times which is likely to be unsuitable for most space engineering applications. For the sake of clarity, a distinction was introduced between physical and scattering kernel theory based gas-surface interaction models. The physical model category comprises the Hard Cube model, the Soft Cube model and the Washboard model, while the scattering kernel family consists of the Maxwell model, the Nocilla-Hurlbut-Sherman model and the Cercignani-Lampis-Lord model. Limits and assets of each model have been discussed with regards to the context of this paper. Wherever possible, comments have been provided to help the reader to identify possible future challenges for gas-surface interaction science with regards to orbital aerodynamic applications.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paerosci.2020.100675
Divisions: College of Engineering & Physical Sciences > School of Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering > Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry
Funding Information: The DISCOVERER project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 737183. Disclaimer: This publi-cation reflects only the views of the authors. The European Commission is not liab
Additional Information: Funding Information: The DISCOVERER project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 737183. Disclaimer: This publi-cation reflects only the views of the authors. The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Uncontrolled Keywords: Gas-surface interaction,Orbital aerodynamics,Very low earth orbit,Aerospace Engineering,Mechanics of Materials,Mechanical Engineering
Publication ISSN: 0376-0421
Last Modified: 19 Mar 2024 08:22
Date Deposited: 04 Jan 2021 13:40
Full Text Link: https://arxiv.o ... /abs/2010.00489
Related URLs: http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2020-11-27
Accepted Date: 2020-09-29
Authors: Livadiotti, Sabrina
Crisp, Nicholas H.
Roberts, Peter C.E.
Worrall, Stephen D. (ORCID Profile 0000-0003-1969-3671)
Oiko, Vitor T.A.
Edmondson, Steve
Haigh, Sarah J.
Huyton, Claire
Smith, Katharine L.
Sinpetru, Luciana A.
Holmes, Brandon E.A.
Becedas, Jonathan
Domínguez, Rosa María
Cañas, Valentín
Christensen, Simon
Mølgaard, Anders
Nielsen, Jens
Bisgaard, Morten
Chan, Yung An
Herdrich, Georg H.
Romano, Francesco
Fasoulas, Stefanos
Traub, Constantin
Garcia-Almiñana, Daniel
Rodriguez-Donaire, Silvia
Sureda, Miquel
Kataria, Dhiren
Belkouchi, Badia
Conte, Alexis
Perez, Jose Santiago
Villain, Rachel
Outlaw, Ron

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