This chapter focuses on some thermodynamics issues associated to flying hypersonically. Shock heating is analyzed by assuming the vehicle moves in a still atmosphere, showing the physical mechanisms at work inside the shock wave structure that produce compression and heating, all converting part of the kinetic energy of the vehicle to drag work. The effect scales with altitude-defining flight corridors and dynamic pressures constrained by vehicle integrity. The impact of heating on entropy production is the first hint of the close relationship between entropy and drag, in particular, related to curved surfaces: the entropy layer swallowed by hypersonic inlets is shown produced by gradients of velocity and temperature. The Crocco–Vazsonyi theorem is the mathematical tool to analyze the thermodynamics of hypersonic flows in general and in particular over curved surfaces. Cooling of the stagnation regions on the nose and leading edges of vehicles is a technology area with implications on flight efficiency. The vehicle can be assumed a thermodynamic black box with energy and mass influx and outflux due to aerodynamics and propulsion, therefore requiring minimizing waste heat not directly related to Carnot efficiency. Examples of passive and active cooling developed and tested in the past are illustrated including their mechanical and structural weights.


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    Title :

    Some Aero-Thermodynamics


    Additional title:

    sp propuls


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2023-11-28


    Size :

    41 pages




    Type of media :

    Article/Chapter (Book)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





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