A Centrifugal Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Facility for Investigating Effects of Inertia on Ablating Bodies

A most important aspect of space technology is the development of methods for atmospheric re-entry. In this phase of flight very severe structural and material requirements exist. The origin of the problem lies in the intense aerodynamic heating which occurs as the body enters the denser regions of the atmosphere. High stagnation temperatures at the nose, shear effects in the boundary layer, radiation from the hot gas in the shock wave, and heat liberated by the recombination of dissociated and ionised gases give rise to conditions which will result in the destruction of the body unless some form of heat protection is provided.