Influence of Nonequilibrium Kinetics on Heat Transfer and Diffusion near Re-Entering Body

The heat transfer and diffusion near the surface of a space vehicle under re-entry conditions are studied on the basis of the kinetic theory of gases. The influence of the nonequilibrium kinetics in an (N2, N) mixture on the transport properties of the flow is investigated. The nonequilibrium vibrational distributions in the boundary layer near the surface of the re-entering body have been obtained in the state-to-state approach and inserted in the transport kinetic theory code. As a result, the total heat flux, thermal conductivity, and all diffusion coefficients are calculated under different conditions in the freestream and on the surface. The effects of various energy exchanges, vibrational nonequilibrium, dissociation, and recombination on the heat transfer and diffusion are examined.