Experimental and Computational Investigation of Nozzles in a Crosswind Environment

An integrated experimental and computational investigation of non-conventional nozzles and series of nozzles in crosswind environments is proposed. The experiments will be conducted at the University of Illinois and will provide a validation test bed for numerical simulations. High-fidelity three-dimensional simulations will be conducted using the proprietary framework Rocstar. This experimental and computational framework includes meshing capabilities and has flexibility sufficient to investigate a variety of nozzle configurations under varying conditions. We propose validated simulations of elliptical nozzles with aspect ratios of up to 20:1, exhaust-to-ambient temperature ratios of two to ten, momentum exhaust-to-ambient ratios of one to five, and nozzles in individual or group configurations. A powerful and unique visualization tool, Rocketeer, will be used to provide high quality, 3-D movies and graphics of computational results enabling users to better understand plume structure and characteristics. The goals of this work are to develop an extensive experimental test bed of non-traditional nozzles, both singularly and in groups, in a crosswind for validation of numerical codes, and to develop, validate, and commercialize a numerical tool suitable for design analysis that can accurately predict the turbulent characteristics (especially velocity and temperature) downstream of the exit.