Non-equilibrium Nitrogen Re-entry Flow Computed with a Vibrational-Specific Kinetics Model

International audienceThe present work assesses the feasibility of implementing a collisional-radiative model into a CFD code and obtaining flow-field results in reasonable computational times. A major step towards this goal is to implement a state-specific vibrational model for Nitrogen into a Navier-Stokes code, to produce aero-thermodynamic flow-fields, namely fields of vibrationalstate population densities and of temperatures, in the shock layer past a blunt body flying at atmospheric-entry conditions. The paper presents the equations, the vibrational-specific kinetics model, the methodology, a description of the CFD code PINENS, and the results then obtained. Spatial evolution of the chemical species on their vibrational excited states in an axisymmetric shock layer flow resolved by the PINENS code, as well as Boltzmann distributions of the population densities on the vibrational levels, are presented. Comparisons between results obtained with detailed models and results obtained with global models are discussed and show how the global models perform compared to the detailed models in the prediction of the chemical species and vibrational states evolution in a shock layer