Fluid-Structure Interaction Simulation for Estimating the Deformation of the Ballutes for Re-entry Vehicles in Supersonic Regime

Abstract

A ballute is an inflatable device to enhance the drag force during reentry flight. The device was inflated by high-pressure gas. Thus, the device has a flexible structure. This means the ballute shape can change depending on the pressure on the body surface, and the drag force by the ballute will also change. Therefore, it is essential to estimate the effect of flexibility on the deformation of the ballute. In this study, we performed a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation to estimate the deformation of the ballute using ANSYS AIM. In addition, we compared the experimental results by ISAS supersonic wind tunnel. The numerical results showed that the FSI simulation could reproduce how the aerodynamic force deformed the ballute.