Papers by Valerio Carandente
Future exploration programs, promoted by the main world space agencies, deal with sample return m... more Future exploration programs, promoted by the main world space agencies, deal with sample return missions to planets like Mars or to asteroids and comets. In this study, an aero-thermo-dynamic analysis of a possible Earth Return Capsule during the high energy, high altitude re-entry path from an exploration mission is presented. The altitude interval 70-120 km is considered, where the capsule experiences different flow fields. In fact, rarefaction ranges from the continuum low density regime to the near free molecular flow and, even though the free stream velocity has been considered constant (13 km/s) in the whole altitude interval, the Mach number changes from 44 to 32 and the Reynolds number, based on the capsule diameter, ranges from 4.92×10 4 to 9. The computations were carried out using two direct simulation Monte Carlo codes: the 2-D code DS2V to compute local quantities such as heat flux, thermal and aerodynamic loads at zero angle of attack and the 3-D code DS3V to compute global aerodynamic coefficients in the range of the angle of attack 0-60 deg.. The results verified that in this altitude interval the heat flux and the thermal load satisfy reasonably the requirements for the thermal protection system and that the capsule is longitudinally stable up to an angle of attack of about 40 deg..
Small Planetary Entry Simulator (SPES) is an arc-jet hypersonic wind tunnel in operation from lon... more Small Planetary Entry Simulator (SPES) is an arc-jet hypersonic wind tunnel in operation from long time at the University of Naples "Federico II". Up to now SPES has been used to simulate entry conditions for Earth and Mars atmospheres. Recently, the opportunity to use methane as cold gas to be mixed with the nitrogen plasma, in order to upgrade SPES for entry applications in the Titan's atmosphere, has been investigated. This paper summarizes preliminary theoretical, numerical and experimental results. The analysis of a typical entry trajectory in the Titan's atmosphere allowed to estimate flow conditions to be simulated in SPES. After the validation of an aerothermodynamic and thermo-chemical model including non-equilibrium chemical reactions in methane-nitrogen gas mixtures, numerical simulations of the experiment performed in the wind tunnel have been carried out. Preliminary comparisons between experimental and numerical results are presented and discussed in the paper.
Volume 1: Advances in Aerospace Technology, 2015
57th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, 2016
AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, 2016
The Hexafly-INT project intends to test in free-flight conditions an innovative gliding vehicle w... more The Hexafly-INT project intends to test in free-flight conditions an innovative gliding vehicle with several breakthrough technologies on-board. This approach will create the basis to gradually increase the readiness level of a consistent number of technologies suitable for high-speed flying systems. The paper presents a Finite Element thermal analysis of the Experimental Flight Test Vehicle, combining information coming from the flight trajectory, the vehicle aerothermodynamics and the materials behaviour in high temperature conditions. Numerical results show the thermal performances of the selected high temperature resistant materials in the moderate enthalpy flow conditions and provide fundamental information on the thermal loads to be considered for structural analyses.
CubeSats are picosatellites developed according to standard design rules, in order to reduce cost... more CubeSats are picosatellites developed according to standard design rules, in order to reduce costs and development time, increasing accessibility to space and sustain frequent launches. Unfortunately this seems to be in con-trast with the growing problem of space debris. In addition, the high level of miniaturization necessary to cope with the volumetric standard requirements makes very difficult to recover payloads, if required, after the end of the mission. For these reasons, in the present work, conceptual design of de-orbit and re-entry modules for standard CubeSats are presented. The concepts are mainly based on a deployable, umbrella-like, structure, useful to perform de-orbit and re-entry operations taking advantage from a substantial reduction of the ballistic coefficient. In the first configuration, the satellite lifetime may be strongly reduced, making it possible to match the CubeSat maximum lifetime requirement (25 years), even for altitudes higher than 700 km. In the se...
A new small recoverable re-entry capsule with deployable heat shield is analyzed. The possible ut... more A new small recoverable re-entry capsule with deployable heat shield is analyzed. The possible utilization of the capsule is for safe Earth return of science payloads or data from low Earth orbit at an inexpensive cost, taking advantage of its deployable structure to perform an aerobraking re-entry mission, with relatively low heat and mechanical loads. The system concept for the heat shield is based on umbrella-like frameworks and existing ceramic fabrics. An aerothermodynamic analysis is developed to show that the peak heat flux, for a capsule with a ballistic coefficient lower than 10 kg/m2 , is in the range 250-350 kW/m2 and the corresponding surface temperatures are sustainable by off-the-shelf ceramic materials. The article summarizes the main concept and the numerical predictions concerning the re-entry trajectories, the aero-thermal loads, the possibility to control the re-entry trajectory varying the capsule cross-sectional surface. Attention is focused on the effect of the...
Access to Space is still in its early stages of commercialization. Private enterprises have been ... more Access to Space is still in its early stages of commercialization. Private enterprises have been making big progresses hoping to create a Space tourism business. Most of the attention is currently focused on suborbital Space Tourism, while orbital flights still appear limited and expensive. In the present work a preliminary study in the frame of the Space Renaissance (SR) Italia Space Tourism Program, regarding a small hypersonic airplane for a long duration space tourism mission named HyPlane, is presented. It is also consistent with a point-to-point medium range (5000 km) hypersonic trip, in the frame of the “urgent business travel” market segment. Main idea is to transfer technological solutions developed for aeronautical and space atmospheric re-entry systems to the design of such a hypersonic airplane. A winged vehicle characterized by high aerodynamic efficiency and able to manoeuvre along the flight path, in all aerodynamic regimes encountered, is taken into consideration. Ro...
Over the last years, innovative concepts of civil highspeed transportation vehicles and the devel... more Over the last years, innovative concepts of civil highspeed transportation vehicles and the development of related technologies were proposed in EC co-funded projects like ATLLAS, LAPCAT and HEXAFLY [1-3]. These vehicles have a strong potential to increase the cruise range efficiency at high Mach numbers, thanks to efficient propulsion units combined with high-lifting vehicle concepts. Nonetheless, performing a flight test will be the only and ultimate proof to demonstrate the technical feasibility of these new promising concepts and technologies and would result into a major breakthrough in high-speed flight. In this frame the Hexafly-INT project intends to test in free-flight conditions an innovative gliding vehicle with several breakthrough technologies on-board. This approach will create the basis to gradually increase the readiness level of a consistent number of technologies suitable for high-speed flying systems. This work describes the methodology and the implementation of t...
The flow field around hypersonic vehicles requires a properly designed Thermal Protection System ... more The flow field around hypersonic vehicles requires a properly designed Thermal Protection System for the vehicle survival. Generally these systems rely on carbon-based composites, which possess the best compromise among thermal, thermo-chemical and mechanical properties. For particularly stressing reentry conditions (e.g. for super-orbital velocities) the material surface recession, known as ablation, can arise. The physicochemical phenomena connected with the material ablation are globally endothermic and can be exploited to reduce the heat flux entering the internal structure. The objective of the present work is to present a numerical procedure developed on the basis of the ANSYS Parametric Design Language to simulate the ablation process and the temperature distribution inside materials subjected to severe heat flux conditions with a Finite Element approach. Such model also provides a tool for the design of experimental tests in Plasma Wind Tunnel facilities. The preliminary num...
20th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference, 2015
Achieving airbreathing hypersonic flight is an ongoing challenge with the potential to cut air tr... more Achieving airbreathing hypersonic flight is an ongoing challenge with the potential to cut air travel time and provide cheaper access to space. Waveriders are potential candidates for achieving hypersonic cruise or acceleration flight within the atmosphere. Current research tends to focus on key issues like thermal loading, aero-elasticity and aerothermodynamics at hypersonic speeds. Design problems in each of these areas must be solved if a hypersonic waverider design is to be viable.
Human access to LEO of a winged crew vehicle and its Earth re-entry are considered in the present... more Human access to LEO of a winged crew vehicle and its Earth re-entry are considered in the present work. Main problems are the launch of a manned airplane-like vehicle into orbit and its atmospheric re-entry as a conventional airplane. A high lift-over-drag Spaceplane has been preliminarily considered in the frame of a joint research project between DIAS (University of Naples) and OHB-System (Bremen). Its high aerodynamic efficiency and relatively low wing loading allow to perform a non conventional atmospheric re-entry with relatively high down and cross ranges and with reduced sensed deceleration, aerothermal and mechanical loads. These performances are beneficial to significantly increase flexibility, comfort for the astronauts during re-entry (especially important for ill or deconditioned crew members) and to open opportunities to Space tourism from LEO or exploration missions. On the other hand, launching a winged vehicle with a large wingspan atop an expendable launcher poses p...
Journal of Aeronautics & Aerospace Engineering, 2013
In the present work a preliminary study on a small hypersonic airplane for a long duration space ... more In the present work a preliminary study on a small hypersonic airplane for a long duration space tourism mission is presented. It is also consistent with a point-to-point medium range (5000 km) hypersonic trip, in the frame of the "urgent business travel" market segment. Main idea is to transfer technological solutions developed for aeronautical and space atmospheric re-entry systems to the design of such a hypersonic airplane. A winged vehicle characterized by high aerodynamic efficiency and able to maneuver along the flight path, in all aerodynamic regimes encountered, is taken into consideration.
Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 2013
This paper summarizes experimental and numerical results on high enthalpy hypersonic flows in nit... more This paper summarizes experimental and numerical results on high enthalpy hypersonic flows in nitrogen-methane mixtures. The experimental results have been obtained by the Small Planetary Entry Simulator (SPES), an arc-jet hypersonic wind tunnel in operation at the University of Naples ''Federico II''. The facility has been used in the past to simulate entry conditions into Earth's and Mars' atmosphere and has recently been upgraded to simulate entry into Titan's atmosphere. Numerical simulations of the flow field in the facility, for a nitrogen-methane mixture in chemical nonequilibrium have been performed. The chemical species and the heat flux distributions on a calorimeter located in the arc-jet test chamber have been computed.
Microgravity Science and Technology, 2015
Deployable aerobrakes for Earth re-entry capsules may offer many advantages in the near future, i... more Deployable aerobrakes for Earth re-entry capsules may offer many advantages in the near future, including the opportunity to recover on Earth scientific payloads from the Space with reduced risks and costs with respect to conventional systems. Such capsules can be accommodated in the selected launcher in folded configuration optimizing the available volume and, when planned by the mission profile, the aerobrake can be deployed in order to increase the surface exposed to the hypersonic flow and therefore to reduce the ballistic parameter. This can offer as main advantage the opportunity to perform an aerodynamic de-orbit of the system without the need of a dedicated propulsive subsystem and an atmospheric re-entry with reduced aerothermal and mechanical loads making possible the use of relatively lightweight and cheap thermal protection system materials. To ensure the recovery of the capsule, the deployable surface can be modulated to obtain the aerodynamic control of the de-orbit trajectory in order to correctly target the capsule towards the selected landing site for post-flight analyses and operations. The main objective of the work is to present a number of feasible mission profiles for orbital platforms Valerio Carandente valerio
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 2015
ABSTRACT The present work investigates plasma effects around two lifting hypersonic vehicles and ... more ABSTRACT The present work investigates plasma effects around two lifting hypersonic vehicles and their implications on the radiofrequency communication blackout performances during the Earth atmospheric reentry phase. In particular, the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle developed by the European Space Agency and a slender, high lift-over-drag space plane, investigated during previous studies, have been taken into account. Chemical nonequilibrium analyses have been carried out by means of a numerical code, updated with a customized chemical model comprised of several reacting species and different reaction mechanisms. Different flight conditions, including the most critical for communications, have been considered for both vehicles. The main outcomes of the study show that, for very similar freestream conditions, the slender space plane exhibits better communication capabilities when compared with the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle. Particularly, the results suggest that the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle would be able to communicate from the lee side for a limited range of the angle of sight, while no communications from the wind side would be possible. On the other hand, for the slender space plane, flying at relatively low angles of attack, communications are possible either from the lee side or the wind side with very wide angles of sight.
Recent Patents on Engineering, 2014
In the present work new concepts of de-orbit and re-entry modules for standard CubeSats are prese... more In the present work new concepts of de-orbit and re-entry modules for standard CubeSats are presented. On the one hand, these modules can be very useful to contrast the growing phenomenon of the Space debris and, on the other hand, to recover Cubesat payload and components after the end of the mission.
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Papers by Valerio Carandente