Aerodynamic simulation of heat shield separation test on ground

The ability of a CFD technique to evaluate the performance of a heat shield separation system has been demonstrated. The evolution of the differential pressure across the heat shield surface has been estimated. The results of the analysis have been compared with the data from the separation test of the heat shield of an Indian launch vehicle. The pressure on the heat shield surface was estimated by solving the Navier Stokes equations using the Eulerian Lagrangian formulation. The results, which show good agreement with the observed results of a heat shield separation test on the ground, were found to be adequate for design purposes.