航空学报 > 2024, Vol. 45 Issue (21): 29796-029796   doi: 10.7527/S1000-6893.2023.29796

超低轨卫星气动阻力计算与减阻设计研究综述

张俊1(), 蒋亦凡1, 陈松2, 李帅辉3   

  1. 1.北京航空航天大学 航空科学与工程学院,北京 100191
    2.北京航空航天大学 中法工程师学院/国际通用工程学院,北京 100191
    3.中国科学院 力学研究所 高温气体动力学国家重点实验室,北京 100190
  • 收稿日期:2023-10-30 修回日期:2023-11-17 接受日期:2023-12-05 出版日期:2024-11-15 发布日期:2023-12-18
  • 通讯作者: 张俊 E-mail:jun.zhang@buaa.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金(12272028)

Overview of aerodynamic drag calculation and reduction design for very low Earth orbit satellites

Jun ZHANG1(), Yifan JIANG1, Song CHEN2, Shuaihui LI3   

  1. 1.School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering,Beihang University,Beijing  100191,China
    2.Sino-French Engineer School/School of General Engineering,Beihang University,Beijing  100191,China
    3.State Key Laboratory of High Temperature Gas Dynamics,Institute of Mechanics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing  100190,China
  • Received:2023-10-30 Revised:2023-11-17 Accepted:2023-12-05 Online:2024-11-15 Published:2023-12-18
  • Contact: Jun ZHANG E-mail:jun.zhang@buaa.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(12272028)

摘要:

超低地球轨道(VLEO)卫星相较于传统卫星,在对地观测分辨率、数据传输速度、通信容量等方面具有显著优势,近年来成为空间技术领域的研究热点。在超低轨道环境下,大气分子与卫星表面之间碰撞所引起的大气阻力不可忽略,成为影响卫星姿态控制、轨道预测、使用寿命的关键因素。从卫星气动阻力的基本原理出发,讨论了决定气动阻力的主要因素,重点关注阻力系数的计算分析。超低地球轨道环境下的气体流动属于自由分子流,气体分子之间的碰撞可以忽略不计,气体分子与卫星表面之间的气固相互作用模型对阻力系数的评估至关重要。总结、评估了自由分子流领域的基本特性、常用计算方法,重点综述了典型的气固相互作用模型;基于超低轨卫星气动阻力特性的计算分析,着重从增大长细比、外形优化、侧面光滑3个方面对卫星减阻构型设计的研究进展进行了综述分析;对该领域未来需重点关注的关键问题进行了展望。

关键词: 超低地球轨道(VLEO), 大气阻力, 气固相互作用, 自由分子流, 减阻构型设计

Abstract:

In recent years, Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) satellites have become a research hotspot in the field of space technology due to their great advantages in terms of Earth observation resolution, data transfer speed, and communication capacity over traditional satellites. In the VLEO environment, the atmospheric drag caused by collisions between atmospheric molecules and the satellite surface cannot be ignored, and has become not only a critical issue affecting the attitude control and orbit prediction of satellites, but also a key factor limiting the operational life of satellites. This paper starts with the fundamentals of satellite aerodynamic drag and discusses several key factors that determine aerodynamic drag, with a particular focus on the computational analysis of drag coefficients. The gas flow in the VLEO environment belongs to the regime of free molecular flow, where collisions between gas molecules can be neglected. The models for gas-surface interaction between gas molecules and the satellite surface play a crucial role in evaluating the drag coefficient. The fundamental characteristics and common calculation methods for free molecular flow are introduced and evaluated, followed by a focused review of several typical gas-surface interaction models. Furthermore, based on the computational analysis of aerodynamic drag characteristics of satellites, a review of the research progress in drag reduction configuration design is conducted, focusing on three aspects: increasing the aspect ratio, shape optimization, and lateral side smoothing. Finally, several key issues that require significant attention in the future of this field are also discussed.

Key words: Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO), atmospheric drag, gas-surface interaction, free molecular flow, drag reduction design

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