Advanced Crew Escape System Simulation Tool for Future Launch Vehicles

A computational technique that utilizes an innovative tightly coupled combination of CFD, 6-DoF and blast wave simulation methods is proposed for the analysis of crew escape systems for future launch vehicles. An existing high-fidelity simulation program, well validated for military crew escape systems, will be leveraged to meet the challenges of simulating escape system operation for launch abort across the flight envelope, from pre-launch to the hypersonic regime.In Phase I, computationally efficient blast wave effect models will be integrated to simulate launch vehicle propellant explosion effects. Analytical models and available explosion test data will be combined into reduced mechanism blast wave models simulating the explosion event. The value of the improved coupled simulation capability will be demonstrated through sample computations, with and without blast wave effects, for individual and simultaneous crew member ejection, and for the escape separation of a crew vehicle. The newly developed physical and dynamic simulation models will be further refined and validated in Phase II. In particular, the speed and accuracy of staging and escape simulations using the new blast wave models will be improved. Recent CFDRC experience in complex urban blast wave flow field modeling will be leveraged to implement a solution adaptive overset Chimera grid approach.