Numerical simulation demonstrates that capsule wake fluctuations trigger parachute canopy instability during Martian descent, highlighting aerodynamic drivers of planetary entry dynamics.
The project focuses on characterizing the unsteady dynamics of the parachute-capsule system during the descent phase of planetary entry in a supersonic flow regime. Currently, Large-Eddy Simulation, coupled with an Immersed-Boundary Method, is utilized to examine the time-evolving flow behavior of a rigid supersonic parachute trailing behind a reentry capsule as it descends through the Martian atmosphere. The flow is simulated at Ma=2 and Re=10^6. A massive GPU parallelization has been utilized to enable a high-fidelity resolution of the turbulent structures in the flow, essential for capturing its dynamic behavior. We demonstrate through low-order modeling of the unsteady turbulent wake of the capsule that low-frequency fluctuations within the wake are the primary trigger for flow instability in front of the canopy volume. Proper-Orthogonal Decomposition is utilized to investigate the system dynamics and analyze how various turbulence contributions influence the phenomenon.
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Luca Placco (2024) studied this question.
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