Flow Patterns around the MESUR Capsule Traveling at Supersonic/Hypersonic Speeds

Flow structures around a hypersonic re-entry Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) capsule traveling at supersonic/hypersonic speeds are investigated utilizing a new computational method based on the finite element method (FEM). In order to confirm the validity of the computational method, the results are compared with experimental ones obtained by the electrical discharge method for a hypersonic flow at Mach 10. From these results, it can be concluded that they were in good agreement. As an example of the numerical simulation, flow fields around the capsule traveling at speeds of Mach 5, 3, and 2 are investigated. By these simulations, differences between the flow structures for these Mach numbers are clarified. The result shows that the location of the separation behind the capsule is governed by the strength of the adverse pressure gradient. The reverse flow behind the capsule that determines the base pressure distribution is correlated to the strength of the re-circulation and the stability of the capsule.