Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer in the Base Region of Martian Descent Vehicle

Numerical investigation of hypersonic flow and heating over two models of an interplanetary probe was carried out at Mach numbers from 6 to 20 and Reynolds numbers Re∞,D from 0.7×105 to 16×105. The models differ mainly by the shape of the back surface simulating the payload container. The Reynolds number, at which laminar-turbulent transition takes place in the near wake, was defined at Mach numbers M = 6–8. It was shown that at turbulent base flow, the heat flux to the back surface of a blunted body can be comparable with the heat flux at the forward stagnation point. The results of numerical flow within the framework of Navier-Stokes and Reynolds equations simulation were compared with the experimental data.