Open AccessNuclear thermal rocket plume interactions with spacecraft. Final report
Author(s) -
B. H. Mauk,
Nikolaos A. Gatsonis,
J. Buzby,
Xiaochun Yin
Publication year - 1997
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/477767
Subject(s) - nozzle , plume , backflow , mechanics , physics , direct simulation monte carlo , thermal , aerospace engineering , combustion chamber , flow (mathematics) , rocket (weapon) , monte carlo method , environmental science , nuclear engineering , chemistry , meteorology , combustion , thermodynamics , engineering , mechanical engineering , statistics , mathematics , organic chemistry , dynamic monte carlo method , inlet
This is the first study that has treated the Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) effluent problem in its entirety, beginning with the reactor core, through the nozzle flow, to the plume backflow. The summary of major accomplishments is given below: (1) Determined the NTR effluents that include neutral, ionized and radioactive species, under typical NTR chamber conditions. Applied an NTR chamber chemistry model that includes conditions and used nozzle geometries and chamber conditions typical of NTR configurations. (2) Performed NTR nozzle flow simulations using a Navier-Stokes solver. We assumed frozen chemistry at the chamber conditions and used nozzle geometries and chamber conditions typical of NTR configurations. (3) Performed plume simulations using a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code with chemistry. In order to account for radioactive trace species that may be important for contamination purposes we developed a multi-weighted DSMC methodology. The domain in our simulations included large regions downstream and upstream of the exit. Inputs were taken from the Navier-Stokes solutions