Radiation and Ablation in Rapidly Expanding Flows. The aim of the project is to record the spectra of radiation from a region of rapidly expanding flow representative of the passage of the shock layer on a re-entry capsule from the windward to the leeward surfaces. The significance of this work is that it addresses a critical area of spacecraft where the uncertainties of our design techniques are of the order of 300 per cent in terms of surface heat transfer, and current vehicles have to use lar ....Radiation and Ablation in Rapidly Expanding Flows. The aim of the project is to record the spectra of radiation from a region of rapidly expanding flow representative of the passage of the shock layer on a re-entry capsule from the windward to the leeward surfaces. The significance of this work is that it addresses a critical area of spacecraft where the uncertainties of our design techniques are of the order of 300 per cent in terms of surface heat transfer, and current vehicles have to use large safety factors to ensure survivability. The outputs from the project will be a data base of radiative parameters which should enable accurate models of the flow to be developed, which is expected to facilitate the design of advanced spacecraft with greater safety and reliability, and with lower structural mass.Read moreRead less
Turbulent heat transfer during Mars Venus and Earth atmospheric entry. This project aims to design better heat shields for spacecraft. Designing heat shields for re-entry vehicles needs good models to predict aerodynamic heating. Conventional wind tunnels cannot measure aerodynamic heating in ground tests in the region of peak heating, making design uncertain and risky. This project will use a free-piston-driven expansion tunnel that can produce flows fast and dense enough to measure heating for ....Turbulent heat transfer during Mars Venus and Earth atmospheric entry. This project aims to design better heat shields for spacecraft. Designing heat shields for re-entry vehicles needs good models to predict aerodynamic heating. Conventional wind tunnels cannot measure aerodynamic heating in ground tests in the region of peak heating, making design uncertain and risky. This project will use a free-piston-driven expansion tunnel that can produce flows fast and dense enough to measure heating for turbulent boundary layers at the highest speeds encountered during re-entry. This should allow scientists to test and develop theoretical and numerical models of heating and so improve spacecraft design.Read moreRead less
Ablative thermal protection systems. The project will study ablative reentry heat shields by experiments simulating hypervelocity atmospheric flight. The results will enable the design of the advanced spacecraft which are needed to extend mans exploration of the universe. Data will be validated by comparison with flights such as the Japanese Hayabusa asteroid sample return mission.
The science of scramjet propulsion. This project will study the science of scramjet operation at high Mach numbers and develop the understanding required for operation at such conditions. The outcomes include experimentally validated scramjet models operating at speeds never reached before, and the potential to extend the known flight envelope for air breathing propulsion.
Designing Radiation-Tolerant Reconfigurable Systems for Space. The processing speed, cost and flexibility requirements of future satellite-based applications cannot be satisfied with conventional radiation-hardened processors or custom integrated circuits. This project aims to develop key technology to enable off-the-shelf hardware to be customised for this use without compromising reliability. The project aims to develop the design methods needed to implement a given set of satellite applicatio ....Designing Radiation-Tolerant Reconfigurable Systems for Space. The processing speed, cost and flexibility requirements of future satellite-based applications cannot be satisfied with conventional radiation-hardened processors or custom integrated circuits. This project aims to develop key technology to enable off-the-shelf hardware to be customised for this use without compromising reliability. The project aims to develop the design methods needed to implement a given set of satellite applications on a processing platform composed of application-specific soft processors and accelerator circuits hosted on conventional reconfigurable logic devices. Crucially, the solution architecture is expected to be sufficiently hardened against radiation-induced errors while meeting performance and circuit area constraints.Read moreRead less
Flow physics of porous wall fuel injection for scramjet combustion and drag reduction. This project combines world-class Australian scramjet science with German advanced high temperature materials, exploring potentially transformational technology for satellite launch. Australia’s credentials in the international space arena will strengthen, contributing to assured access to the space-based applications upon which we heavily depend.
Technologies for space based interferometry. This project aims to develop a new method for laser displacement measurements that will be uniquely suited for use in space. These measurements will enable gravitational measurements of unprecedented accuracy. Missions such as GRACE utilise gravitational observations to provide the distribution of melting polar ice, changes in sea levels, and quantitative estimates of ground water in the world’s food bowls. The technique will also allow space-based gr ....Technologies for space based interferometry. This project aims to develop a new method for laser displacement measurements that will be uniquely suited for use in space. These measurements will enable gravitational measurements of unprecedented accuracy. Missions such as GRACE utilise gravitational observations to provide the distribution of melting polar ice, changes in sea levels, and quantitative estimates of ground water in the world’s food bowls. The technique will also allow space-based gravitational wave detectors far simpler than previous proposals. The improved performance, inherent robustness and drastically reduced complexity will enable new classes of missions that would not otherwise be possible. Read moreRead less