View Full Version : Object’s speed and its heating temperature


Eagle9
04-27-10, 03:48 AM
When some certain object (asteroid, aircraft, spaceship and etc.) moves at great velocities into Earth’s atmosphere it heats. The faster its moves and the denser is the atmosphere the heater this certain object becomes. This is simple is clear. Now, is it possible somehow to predict or calculate this heating temperature? For instance, the object moves at the speed of 975 meter/sec at the altitude of 80 km above the sea level, can we calculate its heating temperature? Are there some formulas in Physics or ready-made charts/diagrams for this purpose? I need this data for the altitude of 0-160 km above the see level…:)

James R
04-27-10, 06:25 PM
The rate of heating and the temperature distribution of the object will depend on what it is made of as well as its shape, aerodynamics and surface properties. It's complicated.

Pete
04-27-10, 08:12 PM
Wikipedia has good coverage of different models of varying complexity, and why the different levels of complexity are important (eg at high temperatures the air becomes ionized, and diatomic Nitrogen dissociates to single Nitrogen atoms): Shock layer gas physics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_reentry#Shock_layer_gas_physics)