NASA SBIR 2008 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
CFD Research Corporation
215 Wynn Drive, 5th Floor
Huntsville, AL 35805 - 1944
(256) 726-4858

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Vladimir Kolobov
sxh@cfdrc.com
215 Wynn Drive, 5th Floor
Huntsville, AL 35805 - 1944
(256) 256-4858

Expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) upon completion of contract: 6

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
The goal of this SBIR project is to develop an innovative, high fidelity computational tool for accurate prediction of aerothermal environment around space vehicles. This tool will be based on the Unified Flow Solver (UFS) developed at CFDRC for hybrid simulations of rarefied, transitional and continuum flows. In this project, UFS will be enhanced to include: radiation transport, non-equilibrium chemistry with real gas effects, and weakly-ionized plasma. The unique strengths of our proposal are: (i) smart software with self-aware physics and adaptive numerics for hypersonic flows with non-equilibrium chemistry, (ii) direct Boltzmann solvers for charged and neutral particles in rarefied regimes, and (iii) a high-fidelity multi-scale radiation transport model that can handle orders of magnitude variation of optical thickness. During Phase 1, we evaluated the relevant physical models and numerical algorithms, and started initial implementation and demonstration of the new capabilities. In Phase 2, these capabilities will be fully developed, validated and demonstrated for selected benchmark problems of interest to NASA. The proposed tool will significantly upgrade the modeling fidelity of high-speed weakly-ionized flows of molecular gases, and enable computational investigation of innovative hypersonic plasma technologies.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
This project will result in a high fidelity, non-equilibrium reentry computational tool with unique predictive capabilities. The tool will find direct and immediate application in a multitude of NASA technology development programs such as the Constellation and New Millennium Programs. Multiple operational risks may be mitigated, including but not limited to ascent and descent aerothermal effects on Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) components such as the crew capsule and Launch Abort System, plume impact during orbital maneuvering, plume environments during Altair lunar landing operations or spacecraft landing near planetary outpost habitat structures. The accurate modeling of aerothermal environments is essential for protecting space vehicles and ensuring crew safety and overall mission success. The code will be used as a design tool for development of new generation reentry vehicles (such as CEV) and components of future hypersonic vehicles. The code will be also used for plasma flow control for subsonic and supersonic aerospace applications.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Technology applications beyond NASA include Ballistic Missile Defense vehicles performing exo-atmospheric missile intercepts, interceptor divert thruster plume interaction, and the generation of target missile plume signatures. The tool will have wide appeal to rocket engine manufacturers (e.g., ATK, Pratt & Whitney, and Aerojet) and to universities developing rocket engine technology (e.g. Purdue, Penn State, and University of Alabama in Huntsville). Advanced space propulsion systems such as arcjets, ion thrusters, and plasma thrusters must be evaluated for their installed performance and environmental impact. The Air Force is actively pursuing development of high-speed, long-range, scramjet-powered strike aircraft that will operate at high altitudes presenting complex propulsion airframe interaction challenges. The software may also find numerous commercial and research applications in material processing (hypersonic plasma particle deposition for nanomaterial fabrication) and semiconductor manufacturing.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Simulation Modeling Environment Software Tools for Distributed Analysis and Simulation Testing Requirements and Architectures