Stability of a high-speed boundary layer over a plate with graphite coating sublimation

Abstract

The paper presents results of a theoretical study for parameters of a compressible boundary layer for the case of a re-entry space vehicle flying in atmosphere with the free flow at Mach 6 ≤ M ≤ 10 with sublimation of the carbon coating (graphite). Since a high flight velocity results in a higher wall temperature and a higher mass loss rate, the effect of wall material evaporation decreases the wall temperature as compared with the case of zero-sublimation flow. All that increases the gas mixture density in the sublimation vapor cloud nearby the wall; this is beneficial for stability of the high-speed boundary layer in the response to the first-mode disturbance. As for the second mode disturbances, the lower values of spatial amplification rate with increasing Mach number is observed due to the surface material sublimation. The position of laminar-turbulent transition was evaluated using the e^N method. Our computations demonstrated that (for a flow with M = 6) the surface sublimation has no influence for laminar-turbulent transition; this transition is governed by the growth of three-dimensional (3D) first mode disturbances. At higher Mach numbers (for M = 8 and higher) we observe that the disturbance amplification rate in the downstream direction becomes smaller. The transition is driven by a 2D second mode. The graphite coating sublimation has destabilizing influence for the second mode; that accelerates the boundary layer transition to turbulence.