Exploratory numerical experiments with a macroscopic theory of interfacial interactions

Abstract: Phenomenological theories of interfacial interactions have targeted terrestrial applications since long time and their exploitation has inspired our research programme to build up a macroscopic theory of gas-surface interactions targeting the complex phenomenology of hypersonic reentry flows as alternative to standard methods based on accommodation coefficients. The objective of this paper is the description of methods employed and results achieved in an exploratory study, that is, the unsteady heat transfer between two solids in contact with and without interface. It is a simple numerical-demonstrator test case designed to facilitate quick numerical calculations and to bring forth already sufficiently meaningful aspects relevant to thermal protection due to the formation of the interface. The paper begins with a brief introduction on the subject matter and a review of relevant literature. Then the case is considered in which the interface is absent. The importance of tension continuity as boundary condition on the same footing of heat-flux continuity is recognised and the role of the former in governing the establishment of the temperature-difference distribution over the separation surface is explicitly shown. Evidence is given that the standard temperature-continuity boundary condition is just a particular case. Subsequently the case in which the interface is formed between the solids is analysed. The coupling among the heat-transfer equations applicable in the solids and the balance equation for the surface thermodynamic energy formulated in terms of the surface temperature is discussed. Results are illustrated for planar and cylindrical configuration; they show unequivocally that the thermal-protection action of the interface turns out to be driven exclusively by thermophysical properties of the solids and of the interface; accommodation coefficients are not needed.