NONEQUILIBRIUM, NONSIMILAR SOLUTIONS OF THE LAMINAR BOUNDARY LAYER EQUATIONS (TASK 3.1. FLOW-FIELD ANALYSES. REST PROJECT),
Abstract : A method of solution of the laminar boundary layer equations for dissociating and ionizing air in chemical nonequilibrium is formulated for arbitrary pressure gradients and body geometry. A nonsimilar, multistrip integral technique is employed in conjunction with previously derived transport and thermodynamic properties for the multicomponent mixture. Several numerical examples are carried out for sharp conical bodies (assuming a fully catalytic cold wall) at reentry velocities and altitudes between 115 and 200 kilofeet. The results are used to demonstrate a number of salient features of the flow fields; among these are the dominant role of diffusion in counterbalancing the production of dissociated and ionized species, the relative importance of accurate transport properties in the momentum and energy equations (as reflected in the species production), and the persistence of chemical nonequilibrium to relatively low altitudes (below 15 kilofeet) for slender, sharp vehicles at reentry velocities. (Author)