Advanced Flow Analysis Tools for Transient Solid Rocket Motor Simulations

The goals of reducing total cost and increasing reliability and safety of access to space continue to be top priorities for NASA. The most immediate propulsion launch challenge involves increasing lift weight from 70 to 130 metric tons by developing the heavy lift Space Launch System (SLS). Solid rocket motor analysis tools are needed to simulate ignition and propellant recession during the burn, but current models are limited in their ability to capture ignition transients or large grain deformations during motor operation. We propose to advance propellant surface heating, ignition, and burning models as well as surface mesh recession algorithms to address a strong need for improved ignition physics and grain burn back and to deliver a unique and powerful software tool for current and next generation solid rocket motor simulations. The Phase I products have already been fielded by NASA for ignition calculations involving the Launch Abort System Jettison Motor and RSRMV. While these calculations are still in the preliminary stages, continued innovation of this successful technology strongly suggests that our research products will provide NASA with the important capability to simultaneously analyze solid propellant heat transfer, combustion, and grain burn back within a single framework. Validation of the integrated tools to a TRL of 5 will be accomplished using available motor data provided by ATK while phased releases of the new software capabilities will allow NASA immediate access to incremental updates as soon as they are available. Advancing this simulation capability will provide a large benefit to NASA because of its compatibility with NASA's mission and expertise.

This technology will provide NASA with an advanced simulation capability for two phase flows in solid motors with dynamic grain recession, including burning surface particulate injection and volume and mass flow constraints for the receding propellant, to support simulations of launch abort motors, RSRMV, and SLS. NASA customers, such as Wallops Island Launch Facility and the Missile Defense Agency, would also benefit from their use of this innovative technology. Future upgrades to extend the simulation capabilities of commercial interest to NASA would also be possible, including improved droplet/gas interface modeling for better statistical representations of particle laden flows, improved near-wall turbulence modeling, and extended model validation for commercial space launch systems. Future innovation involving our models for material heating and surface mesh recession would also allow treatment of external surface heating and ablation phenomena that are typical of entry, descent, and landing scenarios.

The growing trend toward complex multi-phase solid rocket motor and launch simulations is creating opportunities for enabling analysis tools in the commercial aerospace market. The ability to analyze these difficult problems in a timely manner will allow the commercial launch industry to reduce costs and increase reliability of access to space. DoD and commercial applications include small and medium solid motors, launch simulations, and stage separation. Additional physical modules, such as upgraded Large Eddy Simulation and turbulence-combustion interaction models, could be developed to address specific commercial opportunities with the basic architecture of the software remaining the same.

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