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Completed TRL 6 (started at 5, targeting 6)
Current modeling of Lunar and Martian soil erosion and debris transport caused by rocket plume impingement lacks essential physics from the peculiar granular characteristics of highly irregular regolith particles. Current granular mechanics models are based on mono-disperse spherical particles empiricism unsuitable for capturing the poly-disperse irregularly shaped grain mechanics. CFDRC and the University of Florida successfully demonstrated a novel approach in Phase I to develop granular mechanics constitutive models through innovative Discrete Element Methods emulating non-spherical, jagged particles constructed as clusters of linked/overlapping spheres. This first principle modeling captures the fundamental relationship between particle shape and particle-phase stress, cohesion, and particle flow kinetics. In Phase II, detailed regolith granular flow constituent models will be derived with these methods. An Eulerian granular phase model with the resulting constitutive models will be implemented in the Unified Flow Solver (UFS) simulation framework developed by CFDRC and UF for lunar debris transport and applied in Eulerian multi-phase gas-regolith interaction simulations. Surface stresses from turbulent jet plume scouring and regolith roughness that amplify erosion mechanisms will be captured using a Reynolds Stress Turbulence model. The integrated UFS simulation tool will be validated against erosion and cratering experiments with sand, lunar/Mars simulants, and reduced gravity effects. The technology will be applied for Moon/Mars landing crater formation and debris transport predictions. This high-fidelity simulation capability will be essential for predicting regolith dust and debris transport and for developing mitigation measures.
Many potential non-NASA commercial applications exist in civil and military industries. Dust, sand and snow stir-up during helicopter landing and take-off in a desert or arctic environment result in severe visibility impairment (brown-out), windshield abrasion and danger of debris ingestion. Civil engineering and environmental engineering applications include wind-borne landscape erosion and dust transport to populated areas
The debris simulation tool will be of first order importance to the Space Exploration program for lunar robotic and human mission architecture definition. The tool will be equally applicable to follow-on Mars robotic and human missions. The developed technology will also be applicable for analysis of solid propulsion systems with embedded solid particle.
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