2026-09-22T21:21:43Z https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/130199 2026-02-10 col_2142_5131 col_2142_14800 com_2142_5130 com_2142_14799 com_2142_234

application/pdf en text Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2027-08-01 The student, Abhyudaya Singh, accepted the attached license on 2025-07-17 at 16:03. The student, Abhyudaya Singh, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2025-07-17 at 16:15. This Thesis was approved for publication on 2025-07-18 at 14:44. DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22605 on 2025-10-25 at 15:54:13 Computational modeling of test articles in the PlasmatronX inductively coupled plasma facility Singh, Abhyudaya 2025-07-18 Panesi, Marco Hypersonics Computational Fluid Dynamics Plasma Validation eng This thesis presents a detailed numerical investigation of plasma–material interactions under non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) conditions, using the PlasmatronX inductively coupled plasma (ICP) facility at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as the reference testbed. The study is motivated by the need for accurate prediction of surface heat flux and species behavior in high-enthalpy environments relevant to atmospheric reentry and thermal protection system (TPS) design. A multi-physics simulation framework was employed, coupling a finite-volume NLTE flow solver (HEGEL), a finite-element electromagnetic solver (FLUX), and a detailed thermochemical and transport property library (PLATO). The framework accounts for multi-temperature thermochemistry, electromagnetic power deposition, and finite-rate gas–surface interactions. Three complementary studies were performed. First, axisymmetric NLTE simulations of a calorimetric probe (isoQ30) were conducted across varying RF(Radio Frequency) power and chamber pressures. A stagnation-line boundary layer formulation was used to estimate wall catalytic activity, and the computed heat fluxes and nozzle exit enthalpies showed strong agreement with experimental measurements. Second, simulations at 55~kW and 200~mbar were validated against TALIF-based profiles of temperature and atomic species, demonstrating accurate reproduction of experimental trends. Third, two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations over a graphite wedge test article were carried out, incorporating finite-rate gas–surface reactions. These analyses revealed significant production of carbonaceous species and highlighted the role of lateral spreading, vortex roll-up, and compositional mixing in shaping the heat flux distribution. The obtained results underscore the importance of detailed surface chemistry modeling, boundary layer resolution, and multi-dimensional flow effects in the accurate prediction of plasma–surface interactions. The simulation framework developed in this work offers a robust foundation for future experimental validation, coupling with material response models, and the design of advanced TPS configurations for reentry applications. 2025-08 Text https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130199 Copyright 2025 Abhyudaya Singh Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Engineering University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign M.S. Thesis