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Enhanced convergence of integral transform solution of ablation problems
Daniel F. Sias, Nerbe J. Ruperti Jr. and Renato M. Cotta
This work is aimed at further advancing a computational procedure for the design of thermal protection systems of space vehicles during atmospheric reentry. The Generalized Integral Transform Technique is thus employed in obtaining a hybrid numerical-analytical solution with computational performance and robustness for incorporation into an optimization engineering code that works towards weight minimization in the TPS design. For this purpose, an integral balance approach is employed in the convergence acceleration of eigenfunction expansions for transient heat conduction with an ablative moving boundary. The proposed approach is first demonstrated for a previously studied benchmark case, and then illustrated for a more realistic situation of aerodynamic heating in ballistic reentry flights, using typical thermophysical properties of thermal protection materials.
Keywords: Integral transforms, hybrid methods, ablation, heat conduction, moving boundary, thermal protection.