Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer

Gas-Kinetic Computational Algorithms for Hypersonic Flows in Continuum and Transitional Regimes, Phase I

Completed Technology Project
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Project Description

This SBIR Phase I project explores two gas-kinetic computational algorithms for simulation of hypersonic flows in both continuum and transitional regimes. One is the gas-kinetic BGK-Burnett solver and the other is the gas-kinetic BGK solver with the regulated particle collision time. Different from the macroscopic Burnett approach, the proposed gas-kinetic BGK-Burnett solver is unconditionally stable for all Knudsen numbers. Whereas it is almost impossible to correctly set up boundary condition for the Burnett equations, this can be easily done in the proposed BGK-Burnett solver with the Maxwell boundary condition, re-emitting the particles from the boundary according to the accommodation coefficient. More importantly, this BGK-Burnett solver not only allows a single algorithm for both continuum and transitional flow regimes but also is more suitable for integration with either DSMC or direct Boltzmann solver in the rarefied flow regime. The gas-kinetic BGK solver with the regulated particle collision time can further reduce the computational costs over the BGK-Burnett solver. The focus of Phase I work is to determine the validity Knudsen number range of these two algorithms.

Organizational Responsibility

Responsible Mission Directorate
Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Responsible Program
Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR)
Lead Organization
Langley Research Center (LaRC)

Project Duration

Start: 2008-01-25
End: 2008-07-24

Partner Organizations

Langley Research Center
Lead Organization
NASA Center
D&P, LLC
Supporting Organization
Industry, Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), Minority-Owned Business

Project Contacts

Lei Tang
Principal Investigator
Program Director
Program Manager

Primary U.S. Work Locations

Arizona
Virginia

Technology Area

Primary Technology Area:

GN&C/

17.5 GN&C Systems Engineering Technologies/

17.5.2 GN&C Fault Management, Fault Tolerance, and Autonomy

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