Development of a coupled NS-DSMC method for the simulation of plume impingement effects of space thrusters
Z. Yang1,2, Z.-Y. Tang3, G.-B. Cai1, and B.-J. He1
1School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing, China
2China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing, China
3Beijing Institute of Spacecraft Environment Engineering, Beijing, China
E-mail: hbj@buaa.edu.cn
Keywords: coupled NS-DSMC method, continuum-rarefied transitional flow, vacuum plume ef-fect, space thrusters
Pages: 835–847
Abstract
A coupled NS-DSMC method possessing adapted-interface and two-way coupling features is studied to simulate the plume impingement effects of space thrusters. The continuum-rarefied interface is determined by combining KnGL and Ptne continuum breakdown parameters. State-based
coupling scheme is adopted to transfer information between continuum and
particle solvers, and an overlapping grid technique is investigated to combine
structured-grid NS code and Cartesian-grid DSMC code to form the coupled
solver. Flow problem of a conical thruster plume impinging on a cone surface is
simulated using the coupled solver, and the simulation result is compared with
experimental data, which proves the validity of the proposed method. Plume flow
while the ascent stage of lunar module lifting off in lunar environment is
also computed by using the present coupled NS-DSMC method to demonstrate its
capability. The whole flow field from combustion chamber to the vacuum
environment is obtained, and the result reveals that special attention should
be paid to the plume aerodynamic force at the early stage of launching process.
DOI: 10.1134/S0869864317060026
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