Highlights

• Particle tracking velocimetry conducted on particles shedding from ablative thermal protection system materials.
• Tests indicate spallation unaffected by pyrolysis gas formation, but impact of environment largely felt through effects due to gas composition.
• Effect of sample geometry suggested that surface shear stress plays a role in spallation particle shedding into the flow.
• An approach was devised to estimate particle diameter based on the acceleration of the particles once they left the material sample.
• Particle diameters were in the range expected for formation from both individual fibers as well as larger groups of fibers.

Price, K. J., Borchetta, C. G., Hardy, J. M., Panerai, F., Bailey, S. C. C., and Martin, A., “Arc-Jet Measurements of Low-Density Ablator Spallation,” Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, Vol. 133, No. 110544, May 2022.
doi: 10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2021.11054