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A set of experiments was conducted with the aim of evaluating total heat flux mitigation using magnetohydrodynamic flow control over ionized shock layers surrounding planetary entry vehicles. The University of Queensland's X2 expansion tube was used to generate a flow condition representative of a Mars return trajectory. Spherical permanent magnets were fitted into a scaled test model based on NASA's Stardust capsule. Thermocouples located at the stagnation point and shoulder of the test model, as well as thin-film heat transfer gauges located in the aft section, measured total heat flux for both magnetic and nonmagnetic experiments. High-speed imaging of the shock layer showed a significant increase in shock standoff when using the magnet, and polynomial fits were derived, describing standoff distance along the model's forebody. Despite significant noise affecting the heat flux gauges signals for the magnetic experiments, a simple methodology allowed to compare heat flux during the useful test time. It was found that the applied magnetic field significantly reduces total heat flux at the stagnation point and shoulder of the test model, although heat flux to the aft section was found to significantly increase. Reasonable agreement with the numerical predictions was found for the aft section of the test model, but discrepancies were observed at the other locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an experimental study of magnetohydrodynamic aerobraking using an expansion tube facility, which can generate the correct electrodynamic boundary conditions for spacecraft atmospheric entry. Argon test gas was selected for its relatively simple chemistry, making it well suited to develop experimental test cases for numerical code development. Test models were constructed from either spherical neodymium permanent magnets or steel balls. Ceramic paint was used as an electrically insulating surface boundary condition for experiments where this was required. Finite-rate reacting computational fluid dynamics of the experimental configuration indicates that relatively long duration argon relaxation times lead to a highly nonequilibrium shock layer in which a significant Hall effect arises. This is important because it is expected that future flight vehicles using magnetohydrodynamic aerobraking technology will also be operated at flight conditions where Hall effect is strong. Shock stand-off was measured using high-speed luminosity imaging for various magnetic and nonmagnetic model configurations. Experimental results in this paper support previous numerical studies that found that only an electrically insulated model surface can generate a significant magnetohydrodynamic interaction when Hall effect is strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]