Propulsion Test Support Analysis with GPU Computing

The design, development and staging of tests to certify liquid rocket engines usually require high-fidelity structural, fluid and thermal support analysis. These analyses are crucial to a successful engine test program since pressurization requirements, heat loads, cooling requirements and structural stresses are evaluated. Furthermore, these analyses are utilized to detect anomalies, unsteady pressure pulsations, structural vibrations, resonant modes and unexpected plume impingement zones that may be hazardous to the test stand structure and/or the test article. Such high-fidelity analyses have traditionally been performed on PC-cluster type computational platforms spanning over days/weeks given the complexity of the flowpath and flow regimes typically involved in the testing of liquid rocket engines. In this proposal we exploit the data parallelism of the computational algorithms involved to significantly enhance performance on low-cost high-speed GPU enabled hardware. Such a transition to GPU-based hardware will result in a paradigm shift for compute-intensive propulsion system applications from expensive CPU dominated PC-cluster architectures to economical workstation styled hybrid GPU-CPU systems, while resulting in dramatic decreases in turnaround times.

The transition to GPU based computing software will speed up analysis of rocket engine stands and components used on test stands. This includes cryogenic feed lines, high pressure tankage, valve systems, and cooling spray nozzles on flame deflectors. The algorithms developed here can be extended to NASA codes used for heat transfer analysis, tank pressurization, structural and thermal stress analysis. It will establish GPU porting protocols for engine/facility health monitoring software as well as software used in control systems.

The commercial market for our product is very large encompassing the broad markets of aerospace and space transportation, fluid handling machinery (pumps and valves), chemical process plants, nuclear and traditional power generation (gas turbine applications) as well as wind energy. The developed product can also be utilized by the space transportation industry for design support and risk assessment.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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