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arXiv · 2411.11597

Generalized Treatment of Energy Accommodation in Gas-Surface Interactions for Satellite Aerodynamics Applications

Friedrich Tuttas·Constantin Traub·Marcel Pfeiffer·Walter Fichter
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Abstract

In the context of satellite aerodynamics in the Very-Low-Earth-Orbit (VLEO) regime, accurate modeling of gas-surface interactions (GSI) is crucial for determining aerodynamic forces and torques. Common models such as Sentman's assume that gas particles are reflected diffusely from a surface, which leads to the incorporation of energy accommodation into the model. This technical note discusses the limitations of existing approaches for handling energy accommodation and provides a generalized treatment thereof that is valid for any molecular speed ratio. A new general expression for the temperature ratio of reflected to impinging particles is derived, which, when used in a GSI model, retains its validity even in hypothermal flows. Additionally, a simplified hyperthermal approximation is presented, proven to be an asymptote of the general expression, and shown to be an improvement upon existing approximations by comparison for a realistic VLEO scenario. The results contribute to a better understanding and modeling of GSI, potentially benefiting scientific investigations and operational applications in satellite aerodynamics.

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Friedrich Tuttas, Constantin Traub, Marcel Pfeiffer, Walter Fichter. 2024-11-18. Generalized Treatment of Energy Accommodation in Gas-Surface Interactions for Satellite Aerodynamics Applications. https://arxiv.org/abs/2411.11597

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