Detailed Modeling of Cork-Phenolic Ablators in Preparation for the Post-flight Analysis of the QARMAN Re-entry CubeSat

Abstract This work deals with the analysis of cork P50, an ablative thermal protection material (TPM) used for heat shield qarman Re-entry CubeSat. Developed European Space Agency (ESA) at von Karman Institute (VKI) Fluid Dynamics, is a scientific demonstrator Aerothermodynamic Research. The ability to model and predict atypical behavior new cork-based materials considered critical research topic. Therefore, this motivated by need develop numerical able respond demand, in preparation post-flight . study focused on main response phenomena P50: pyrolysis swelling. Pyrolysis was analyzed means multi-physics Computational Dynamics (CFD) code argo , developed Cenaero. Based unified flow-material solver, Volume Averaged Navier–Stokes (VANS) equations were numerically solved describe interaction between multi-species high enthalpy flow reactive porous medium, high-order Discontinuous Galerkin Method (DGM). Specifically, accurate method compute production rate implemented. modeling swelling most ambitious task, requiring development physical accounting phenomenon, purpose future implementation within A 1D proposed, mainly based priori assumption velocity resolution nonlinear advection equation, Finite Difference (FDM). Once developed, successfully tested through matlab code, showing that approach promising thus opening way further developments.