No detailed type model using the equilibrium chemistry assumption has been proposed yet. The principal objective of this article is to present a rigorous type 3 model using the equilibrium chemistry assumption. The second objective is to apply it to the analysis of a state-of-the-art ground test.
Extensive ground test campaigns are carried out to test and qualify new materials before flight. Ground test data are used to develop the material response models needed for heat-shield
design. Plasma arc-jet tests that can simulate on the ground a wide range of extreme conditions, often directly representative of flight conditions, are on the critical path of material qualification and model development.