Abstract: Leading edge geometries, such as cones, moving at high-speed undergo intense loading due to the growth of instability waves and turbulent transition. These instability waves are highly spatially coherent. Aerodynamic loading related to instability waves and transition cause large-amplitude vibrations within the underlying structure, which may lead to flight-vehicle failure. We examine the effect …
Category Archives: Astronautics
On the On-Set of Hypersonics
Almost everyone has their own definition of the term hypersonic. If we were to conduct something like a public opinion poll among those present, and asked everyone to name a Mach number above which the flow of a gas should properly be described as hypersonic there would be a majority of answers round about 5 …
Aerospace Verses Mechanical Engineers
Mechanical Engineers use \(y\) as a coordinate axis at the ground pointing towards the sky. Dissimilar, Aerospace Engineers use \(y\) as a coordinate fixed to a flight-vehicle pointing towards the Earth. This is why Mechanical Engineers have their feet on the ground, and Aerospace Engineers have their heads above the clouds.
Space Shuttle / O-Ring Cutaway
Cutaway explanation of the O-Ring disaster within reports of one Prof. R. Feynman.