National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Small Business Innovation Research & Technology Transfer 2008 Program Solicitations
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T10.01 Large Propulsion System Testing Requirements
NASA's Stennis Space Center (SSC) is interested with expanding its suite of test facility modeling tools as well as non-intrusive plume technologies that provide information on propulsion system health, the environments produced by the plumes and the effects of plumes and constituents on facilities and the environment.
T10.01 Large Propulsion System Testing Requirements
Lead Center: SSC
Facility Modeling Tools and Methods
Developing and verifying test facilities is complex and expensive. The wide range of pressures, flow rates, and temperatures necessary for engine testing results in complex relationships and dynamics. It is not realistic to physically test each component and the component-to-component interaction in all states before designing a system. Currently, systems must be tuned after fabrication, requiring extensive testing and verification. Tools using computational methods to accurately model and predict system performance are required that integrate simple interfaces with detailed design and/or analysis software. SSC is interested in improving capabilities and methods to accurately predict and model the transient fluid structure interaction between cryogenic fluids and immersed components to predict the dynamic loads, frequency response of facilities.
Component Design, Prediction and Modeling
Improved capabilities to predict and model the behavior of components (valves, check valves, chokes, etc.) during the facility design process are needed. This capability is required for modeling components in high pressure (to 12,000 psi), with flow rates up to several thousand lb/sec, in cryogenic environments and must address two-phase flows.
Challenges include: accurate, efficient, thermodynamic state models; cavitation models for propellant tanks, valve flows, and run lines; reduction in solution time; improved stability; acoustic interactions; fluid-structure interactions in internal flows.
Engine Health Monitoring
Innovative, standalone sensors for non-intrusively measuring physical properties of rocket engine plumes. Measurements of interest include, but are not limited to, metallic species, temperature, density, velocities, combustion stability and oxidizer to fuel ratio measurement.
Major challenge: Metallic detection in the plume at a level of 10-100 ppb during altitude simulation (1 psia and below) engine testing using spectroscopic absorption techniques.
Plume Environments Measurements
Advanced instrumentation and sensors to monitor the near field and far field effects and products of exhaust plumes. Examples are the levels of acoustic energy and thermal radiation and their interaction/coupling with test articles and facilities and measurements of the final exhaust species that will effect the environment.
Major challenge: Large scale engine plume dispersion modeling and validation.
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