An Optimized Approximation for the Geometry of an Earth Reentry Vehicle

In the years to come, the hypersonic sector is expected to expand. The global hypersonic market in 2033 is projected to be almost double that of 2023. Before hypersonic technology can reach its full potential, important design issues need to be improved. One is the thermal stress that occurs due to surface heating on hypersonic vehicles during flight. Heat generated in the surrounding air increases dramatically with vehicle velocity. The rise in air temperature creates a gradient that transfers the thermal energy to the surface. To mitigate this, blunt bodies are used because they cause shockwaves to detach from vehicles. This detachment reduces heat transfer to the vehicle surface, thereby partially alleviating the thermal impact. The shape and behavior of shockwaves are significantly influenced by vehicle geometry, particularly in the aft section. Consequently, this exploratory research focuses on optimizing the cone angle and nose radius on an Earth reentry vehicle to minimize temperature gradients along its sides and improve thermal management. The analysis was done at various altitudes where maximum thermal loads were expected to occur while assuming frozen and inviscid flow, constant flight path angle, no angle of attack, and a vehicle diameter of 15 feet.