PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Dr. Robert Harris
robert.harris@cfdrc.com
701 McMillian Way NW
Huntsville, AL 35806 - 2923
(256) 726-4800

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Mrs. Silvia Harvey
sxh@cfdrc.com
701 McMillian Way Northwest, Suite D
Huntsville, AL 35806 - 2923
(256) 726-4858

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 7

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Detailed Multiphysics Propulsion Modeling & Simulation Through Coordinated Massively Parallel Frameworks is a Technology Available (TAV) subtopic that includes NASA Intellectual Property (IP). Do you plan to use the NASA IP under the award?
No

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)

Chemical contamination of spacecraft components as well as thermal and force loading from firing liquid propellant thrusters are critical concerns for in-space propulsion applications. Gas molecular contamination and liquid droplet deposition due to incomplete combustion threaten to damage surface materials, sensitive instruments and optical sensors, and poses major risks for mission success. Liquid propellant thrusters operate in space at near-vacuum conditions, and contaminants traverse a complex mixed continuum-rarefied environment upon exiting the thruster nozzle. Current CFD modeling capabilities for in-space propulsion analysis have made great strides, but fall short of providing the fidelity required to simulate the contaminant transport around the spacecraft with sufficient efficiency and accuracy. This STTR will develop and deliver an innovative computational architecture for prediction of plume flow impingement and contaminant dispersal through mixed flow environments for in-space propulsion analysis. CFDRC will supplement the massively parallel Loci framework with a unified solver for prediction of mixed continuum-rarefied flows with contaminant dispersal. This will enable better understanding of thermal and force loading and contamination of spacecraft components, and enable design of safer next-generation in-space propulsion systems. A proof-of-concept was developed and successfully demonstrated during Phase I for in-space thruster plume contamination environments. Phase II will deliver production continuum-kinetic-particle predictive capabilities with adaptive mesh/algorithm refinement for multi-component molecular gases, which will provide NASA with next-generation tools for detailed investigations of contaminant environments for spacecraft configurations.    

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The proposed computational architecture for prediction of plume flow impingement and contaminant dispersal through mixed continuum-rarefied flow environments combines multiple novel computational approaches into one unified simulation environment. This technology will be highly beneficial to NASA and its contractors for prediction and analysis of contaminants and particulate transport and interaction in near-vacuum conditions for in-space propulsion applications. Direct benefits include risk reduction through improved fidelity simulations of thruster plume molecular and droplet contamination reaching spacecraft surface insulation, optical sensors and sensitive instruments. Direct NASA applications include supporting spacecraft design with most advantageous thruster placement and design mitigation measures such as shielding through simulation based engineering. Other NASA applications include simulation of effectiveness of RCS thrusters in reentry capsule rarefied wake region.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Potential Non-NASA government and commercial applications include, assessment of thruster plume induced environments on commercial and military spacecraft, predicting the impact of particles scattered from thruster plumes on ballistic missile and missile interceptor signatures, and optimization of commercial satellite operational life through contamination minimization.