A Parametric Study of the Transient Ablation of Teflon

Abstract

An analytical and experimental investigation was performed to simultaneously determine 18 ablation heat-transfer parameters for Teflon by the method of nonlinear estimation. A transient one-dimensional ablation model solved numerically was utilized to represent the thermal response of Teflon samples that were instrumented in-depth with thermocouples. The nonlinear estimation computer program was based on a modified version of Marquardt’s algorithm. A matching of the predicted and measured temperatures was effected and the results for the parameter values were in accord with available information in the literature. It was concluded that the ablation model accurately predicted the transient thermal response and surface recession of ablating Teflon.