NASA STTR 2007 Solicitation
FORM B - PROPOSAL SUMMARY
PROPOSAL NUMBER: |
07-1 T8.02-9982 |
RESEARCH SUBTOPIC TITLE: |
Component Development for Deep Throttling Space Propulsion Engines |
PROPOSAL TITLE: |
Fuel/Oxidizer Injector Modeling in Sub- and Super-Critical Regimes for Deep Throttling Cryogenic Engines |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (SBC):
|
RESEARCH INSTITUTION (RI):
|
NAME: |
CFD Research Corporation |
NAME: |
Mississippi State University |
STREET: |
215 Wynn Drive, 5th Floor |
STREET: |
Simulation and Design Center, 2 Research Blvd |
CITY: |
Huntsville |
CITY: |
Starkville |
STATE/ZIP: |
AL 35805 - 1926 |
STATE/ZIP: |
MS 39759 - 9740 |
PHONE: |
(256) 726-4800 |
PHONE: |
(662) 325-4586 |
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Sarma L. Rani
sxh@cfdrc.com
215 Wynn Drive, 5th Floor
Huntsville, AL 35805 - 1926
(256) 726-4838
Expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) upon completion of contract:
3
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Accurate CFD modeling of fuel/oxidizer injection and combustion is needed to design and analyze liquid rocket engines. Currently, however, there is no mature modeling capability for liquid fuel/oxidizer injectors in LOCI-Chem, used by NASA and its contractors to analyze rocket engines. In this STTR, an innovative, high fidelity injection module will be developed that features the Level Set (LS) interface tracking method coupled with Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR). In addition to tracking liquid atomization for subcritical flows, the module will have the capability to model transcritical and supercritical regimes, as well as transient and steady operating conditions in a cryogenic engine combustion chamber. CFDRC will team with Mississippi State University to develop the proposed unified module in LOCI-Chem. To show feasibility, the Phase I effort will implement the LS method to track liquid-gas interfaces, and resolve the primary atomization of liquid jets in a subcritical environment. Validation will be performed using the shear coaxial LN2/GN2 jet data of AFRL (Edwards AFB). In Phase II, the LS module will be coupled with the Lagrangian spray model in LOCI-Chem in order to completely track the spray. AMR capability will be developed and integrated with the LS module to improve LS's liquid mass conservation accuracy. Models for secondary atomization and drop vaporization will be implemented in Phase II, in addition to thermodynamic models to capture transcritical and supercritical combustion. Final demonstration of the software will include validation against practical liquid propellant injector cases selected in consultation with NASA personnel.
POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The proposed module in LOCI-Chem will enable NASA and government contractors to better analyze and design liquid rocket engines, such as the CECE engine as part of NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. It will also be beneficial to the J-2X cryogenic engine program as part of Project Constellation to replace the space shuttle in 2010. At the end of Phase II, NASA will have a comprehensive suite of modeling capabilities for studying and designing propulsion devices such as rocket engines and injectors. The models will help predict liner temperatures and combustion-driven instabilities, and improve the overall efficiency of rocket engines.
POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The injector module will be of direct use to Pratt & Whitney-Rocketdyne, the lead OEM contractor for the deep throttling CECE engine. It will also be beneficial to gas turbine engine and diesel engine manufacturers, and has applications in fuel injector design for power plants and in industrial boilers/burners. With the addition of the proposed modeling capabilities, LOCI-Chem will become a more mature CFD tool that will find broad application in many spray technology areas.
NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.
TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING |
Chemical
|
Form Generated on 09-18-07 17:52
|