Aerothermal analysis of a wing-elevon cove with variable leakage

A mathematical model of the heating associated with leakage within the space shuttle orbiter wing elevon cove was used to analyze the aerothermal response of the structure. The analysis was applied to wind tunnel results and to shuttle entry conditions. A parametric study described the mechanism by which the energy of the ingested mass is distributed as a function of the Reynolds number, wall conductivity, surface emissivity, and cove height and length. The rate at which energy was transferred into the cove interior was primarily determined by the combined effects of the convection, wall capacitance, and internal radiation terms. Correlation with wind tunnel results indicated that the cold wall convective heating rates, wall temperature, and gas temperature of the cove were predicted by the analytical model for short exposure times. Predicted transient thermal response of the elevon cove subjected to shuttle entry conditions indicated that the allowable leak area at the cove seal was 20 percent less than that previously indicated by experiment.