A Study on Plasma Formation on Hypersonic Vehicles using Computational Fluid Dynamics

This study focuses on understanding high-temperature effects and plasma formation in sub-orbital hypersonic flight using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The research compares two models with different kinetic parameters derived from shock tube experiments and state-to-state chemical kinetics. The simulations consider various Mach numbers and altitudes relevant to reentry conditions. Results show that the choice of model and the number of species composing the mixture significantly impact the flow field, with the more recent model demonstrating improved accuracy compared to experimental and numerical data.