Observable Signatures of Missile Threats to Army Interests in the Field

The primary objective of this effort is to greatly advance the state-of-the-art in missile plume signature modeling through the development and validation of both an advanced turbulence – chemistry interaction model, as well as a new turbulence – radiation interaction model. These new and innovative modeling formulations are required to accurately capture local flame extinction effects that result in afterburning missile plume flame lifting and separation for low altitude systems. Such a modeling formulation is critical to enable the ARMY to effectively fulfill force protection requirements against tactical and theater ballistic missile threats. These low altitude threats typically exhibit strongly afterburning plume flames that often lift or separate from the missile base due to intense turbulence – chemistry interactions occurring within these flows. The extent and nature of this flame lifting is critical to the development of identification, tacking, aim point selection, and countermeasure algorithms for the ARMY. To address this problem, this program has focused on the development and application of a new, advanced form of the DQMOM turbulent combustion model to compressible afterburning missile plume flows. This effort is a first of its kind study to evaluate the influence of turbulence – chemistry interactions on missile plume flows