The growing trend toward complex multi-phase analyses is opening significant new markets as more difficult problems can be addressed using advanced computational techniques. The ability to analyze more complex solid motor problems will allow industry to speed development of new products and streamline testing. Further enhancements to our modeling system will find application in the aerospace, automotive, environmental, and nuclear industries. The basic architecture of the software will remain the same while new plug-in models are developed to address niche markets. Our research partner ATK, a leading solid motor manufacturer, will help ensure that our research products maximize commercial potential.
This technology will provide NASA with an advanced analysis capability for the prediction of transient two phase flows in solid motors, including ignition phenomena and dynamic surface recession for a wide variety of propellants. Potential enhancements to the these tools include improved droplet/gas interface modeling for better statistical representations of particle laden flows, improved near-wall turbulence modeling, and extended model validation. The proposed methodology for ignition modeling in two phase solid motor flows is also well suited for extensions to additional multi-physics capabilities of commercial interest to NASA, including three dimensional coupled heat transfer within the solid propellant. Our research partner ATK, a leading manufacturer of solid rocket engines for NASA, will help ensure that our research products maximize commercial potential.
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