INNOVATIVE MODEL FOR REACTING FLOWS

THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE BENEFITS OF A NEW COMPUTATIONAL MODEL FOR REACTING FLOWS. IT APPLIES TO NON-EQUILIBRIUM FLOWS, IN GENERAL, BUT IS SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE FREQUENT CONDITION IN HYPERSONIC FLOWS WHERE SOME OF THE REACTANTS ARE NEAR THERMOCHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM, WHILE THE REMAINDER ARE OUT OF LOCAL EQUILIBRIUM. NONEQUILIBRIUM FLOWS ARE PRESENT IN SEVERAL CEHICLES OF INTEREST TO NASA, INCLUDING FUTURE SPACE SHUTTLES, THE NATIONAL AEROSPACE PLANE, HYPERSONIC TRANSPORTATION, AEROBRAKING ORBITAL TRANSFER VEHICLES, AND PLANETARY PROBES. NUMERICAL METHODS TO COMPUTE NONEQUILIBRIUM FLOWS INVOLVING A MODERATE-TO-LARGE NUMBER OF REACTANTS ARE COSTLY TO OPERATE AND CAN BENEFIT SUBSTANTIALLY FROM SIMPLIFICATIONS; IN SOME CASES SUCH SIMPLIFICATIONS ARE KEY TO THE PRACTICAL FEASIBILITY OF THE COMPUTATIONS. THIS INVESTIGATION CONSISTS OF EXPLORING A NEW, MIXED, EQUILIBRIUM-NONEQUILIBRIUM MODEL BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE WITH MAGNETO-HYDRODYNAMIC CHANNEL FLOWS, AND TESTING IT NUMERICALLY UNDER HYPERSONIC FLIGHT CONDITIONS TO ASSESS ITSPOTENTIAL PAY OFF FOR PHASE II DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION. THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE BENEFITS OF A NEW COMPUTATIONAL MODEL FOR REACTING FLOWS. IT APPLIES TO NON-EQUILIBRIUM FLOWS, IN GENERAL, BUT IS SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE FREQUENT CONDITION IN HYPERSONIC FLOWS WHERE SOME OF THE REACTANTS ARE NEAR THERMOCHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM, WHILE THE REMAINDER ARE OUT OF LOCAL EQUILIBRIUM. NONEQUILIBRIUM FLOWS ARE PRESENT IN SEVERAL CEHICLES OF INTEREST TO NASA, INCLUDING FUTURE SPACE SHUTTLES, THE NATIONAL AEROSPACE PLANE, HYPERSONIC TRANSPORTATION, AEROBRAKING ORBITAL TRANSFER VEHICLES, AND PLANETARY PROBES. NUMERICAL METHODS TO COMPUTE NONEQUILIBRIUM FLOWS INVOLVING A MODERATE-TO-LARGE NUMBER OF REACTANTS ARE COSTLY TO OPERATE AND CAN BENEFIT SUBSTANTIALLY FROM SIMPLIFICATIONS; IN SOME CASES SUCH SIMPLIFICATIONS ARE KEY TO THE PRACTICAL FEASIBILITY OF THE COMPUTATIONS. THIS INVESTIGATION CONSISTS OF EXPLORING A NEW, MIXED, EQUILIBRIUM-NONEQUILIBRIUM MODEL BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE WITH MAGNETO-HYDRODYNAMIC CHANNEL FLOWS, AND TESTING IT NUMERICALLY UNDER HYPERSONIC FLIGHT CONDITIONS TO ASSESS ITSPOTENTIAL PAY OFF FOR PHASE II DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION.