MODEL DEVELOPMENT FOR EXHAUST PLUME EFFECTS ON LAUNCH STAND DESIGN

EXISTING MODELS FOR DETERMINING PLUME INDUCED LAUNCH STAND PRESSURE AND THERMAL EFFECTS ARE TOO LABOR AND COMPUTATIONALLY EXPENSIVE TO ROUTINELY APPLY TO DESIGN LAUNCH STANDS AND MISSILE LAUNCHERS. THE TYPES OF CODES UTILIZED DURING THE DESIGN OF THE KENNEDY LAUNCH STAND INCLUDED; AN INVISCID TWO PHASE FLOW CODE, A VISCOUS MIXING CODE, A PARTICLE/SHOCK LAYER INTERACTION MODEL, A GASEOUS IMPINGEMENT MODEL AND A THERMAL ANALYSIS CODE WHICH INCLUDEDPARTICLE/SURFACE INTERACTIONS. THESE MODELS REQUIRED CONSIDERABLE MANUAL INTERVENTION FOR A SINGLE CALCULATION. A UNIFIED DESIGN MODEL WILL BE DEVELOPED THAT CAN TREAT ARBITRARY LAUNCH STAND GEOMETRIES WITH LITTLE OR NO USER INTERACTION FROM INPUT TO OUTPUT: IMPACT PRESSURE, HEATING RATE AND RESULTANT TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTIONS THROUGH AND OVER THE LAUNCH STAND/DEFLECTOR HARDWARE. THE PHASE I CODE WILL INCLUDE A COMBINED INVISCID AND VISCOUS TWO DIMENSIONAL/AXISYMETRIC FLOW CODE COMBINED WITH A PLUME IMPINGEMENT MODEL. THIS MODEL WILL INCLUDE REAL, REACTING GAS, TWO PHASE AND VISCOUS MIXING EFFECTS. THE OUTPUT OF THIS STUDY WILL BE A VALIDATED EFFICIENT TOOL FOR PREDICTINGPLUME INDUCED PRESSURE AND THERMAL EFFECTS TO LAUNCH STANDS AND LAUNCHERS FOR BOTH LIQUID AND SOLID ROCKET LAUNCH VEHICLES AND MISSILES.