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Doran, Denise

Publications and source records attributed to Doran, Denise.

Particulate multi-phase flowfield analysis for advanced solid rocket motor

Particulate multi-phase flowfield with chemical reaction for a 2D advanced solid rocket motor (ASRM) is analyzed using the finite difference Navier-Stokes (FDNS) code. The flowfield in the aft dome cavity of the ASRM is examined and its significant impact on the motor operation and performance is demonstrated. Chemical reaction analysis is performed for H2O, O2, H2, O, H, OH, CO, CO2, Cl, Cl2, HCl, and N2. The turbulent dispersion effect is calculated with the Monte Carlo method. Result show that a recirculation zone exists at the entry of the aft-dome cavity. The particle impingement could cause the erosion and damage nozzle wall. Accumulating in the impingement area the particles change the wall shape and affect the motor performance.

Liaw, Paul

Advanced Multi-Phase Flow CFD Model Development for Solid Rocket Motor Flowfield Analysis

It is known that the simulations of solid rocket motor internal flow field with AL-based propellants require complex multi-phase turbulent flow model. The objective of this study is to develop an advanced particulate multi-phase flow model which includes the effects of particle dynamics, chemical reaction and hot gas flow turbulence. The inclusion of particle agglomeration, particle/gas reaction and mass transfer, particle collision, coalescence and breakup mechanisms in modeling the particle dynamics will allow the proposed model to realistically simulate the flowfield inside a solid rocket motor. The Finite Difference Navier-Stokes numerical code FDNS is used to simulate the steady-state multi-phase particulate flow field for a 3-zone 2-D axisymmetric ASRM model and a 6-zone 3-D ASRM model at launch conditions. The 2-D model includes aft-end cavity and submerged nozzle. The 3-D model represents the whole ASRM geometry, including additional grain port area in the gas cavity and two inhibitors. FDNS is a pressure based finite difference Navier-Stokes flow solver with time-accurate adaptive second-order upwind schemes, standard and extended k-epsilon models with compressibility corrections, multi zone body-fitted formulations, and turbulence particle interaction model. Eulerian/Lagrangian multi-phase solution method is applied for multi-zone mesh. To simulate the chemical reaction, penalty function corrected efficient finite-rate chemistry integration method is used in FDNS. For the AL particle combustion rate, the Hermsen correlation is employed. To simulate the turbulent dispersion of particles, the Gaussian probability distribution with standard deviation equal to (2k/3)(exp 1/2) is used for the random turbulent velocity components. The computational results reveal that the flow field near the juncture of aft-end cavity and the submerged nozzle is very complex. The effects of the turbulent particles affect the flow field significantly and provide better prediction of the ASRM performance. The multi-phase flow analysis using the FDNS code in the present research can be used as a design tool for solid rocket motor applications.

Liaw, Paul

ASRM Multi-Port Igniter Flow Field Analysis

The Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) program was initiated by NASA in response to the need for a new generation rocket motor capable of providing increased thrust levels over the existing Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) and thus augment the lifting capacity of the space shuttle orbiter. To achieve these higher thrust levels and improve motor reliability, advanced motor design concepts were employed. In the head end of the motor, for instance, the propellent cast has been changed from the conventional annular configuration to a 'multi-slot' configuration in order to increase the burn surface area and guarantee rapid motor ignition. In addition, the igniter itself has been redesigned and currently features 12 exhaust ports in order to channel hot igniter combustion gases into the circumferential propellent slots. Due to the close proximity of the igniter ports to the propellent surfaces, new concerns over possible propellent deformation and erosive burning have arisen. The following documents the effort undertaken using computational fluid dynamics to perform a flow field analysis in the top end of the ASRM motor to determine flow field properties necessary to permit a subsequent propellent fin deformation analysis due to pressure loading and an assessment of the extent of erosive burning.

Kania, Lee