Construction of a mathematical model of the heat and mass transfer process in the main fairing of a launch vehicle at the pre-launch preparation stage

This study investigates the sequential and continuous formation of thermal fields in the main fairing of a launch vehicle when using protective screens. While thermostating, it is necessary to predict the risk in overheating the payload body and, if necessary, take measures to reduce the temperature near the payload. An engineering solution to this problem can be found through the use of protective screens of various configurations inside the main fairing. These screens reduce the heat flow from the heated outer wall of the fairing to the payload surface. However, there are no standard methods for solving this problem. To evaluate the effectiveness of this protection, a numerical model based on the fundamental equations of continuum mechanics has been constructed. The modeling equations include the energy equation and the equation of motion of a non-viscous gas. Using the numerical model built, a computational experiment was conducted, which confirmed the effectiveness of using protective screens to shield the payload body from excessive heating. The computer time required to perform the computational experiment is 3 seconds. This makes it possible to perform a significant number of calculations in a working day. The proposed simple technical means for protecting the payload from excessive heating could be used in the design of new models for rocket technology. Applying these screens slightly reduces the need for large volumes of clean air. The numerical model built could be used at specialized organizations at the “for-sketch” design stage. Numerical experiments have shown that the use of protective screens inside the main fairing makes it possible to achieve a temperature 2–4°C lower than the maximum permissible temperature near the payload