Simulation and analysis of drag for inflatable aerodynamic decelerator

Abstract

Inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, as a novel deceleration and recovery technology, has received attention due to its lightweight and freedom from the launch vehicle fairing size constraints for the space mission. Aimed at the aerodynamic characteristics of the inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, this work studied the effect of the cone angle on its drag and discussed the drag varied with the angle of attack under the different cone angles. The simulation showed that the drag was affected by the cone angle and increased locally with the angle of attack. Furthermore, the larger cone angle was beneficial to the stability of the flow field on its leeward in the case of a high Mach number. The math model of drag with the Mach number and the angle of attack was obtained by fitting the data, which provided favorable support for the prospective discussion of the flight dynamics characteristics.