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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

Verification Testing and Veg-05 Tomato Crop Production on the International Space Station

VEG-05 is an experiment to better define best practices for crop production and handling in space. Light can impact the growth habit, yield, nutritional composition, microbial levels, and flavor within crops and VEG-05 used the Veggie facilities on the International Space Station to grow ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomatoes under different spectral compositions to assess these characteristics. Prior to launch, both a science verification test (SVT), and an experiment verification test (EVT) were conducted. SVT, and a previous fertilizer test, grew plants in both plant pillows and PONDS units and tested different fertilizer treatments, with each test under one of the light conditions. EVT used only plant pillows with the highest fertilizer composition tested, and two Veggie units were utilized. One Veggie had light settings consisting of equal levels of red: blue light while the second Veggie had a 90:10 ratio of red: blue light, both with the addition of ~10% green. For SVT, under the equal red: blue light treatment, fruit ripening in plant pillows was delayed. For EVT we saw fruit ripening earlier, especially in the red-rich treatment. In SVT we had mostly daily watering, and this led to excess water in plant pillows which leaked and caused fungus to grow. We reduced this excess in EVT, however, wilting events occurred. Regardless, more than 10 fruit were produced from each plant on average, with the high red treatment producing slightly heavier fruit. Microbial testing from fruit indicated that fruit were safe for consumption. VEG-05 flight operations ran December 2022 and March 2023, with considerable challenges in watering and unexpectedly low humidity on ISS during critical periods. Only 12 ripe fruit formed, and all were returned. Fruit and other samples are currently being analyzed. This research was co-funded by NASA’s Human Research Program and Space Biology.

Gioia Donna Massa↗

The Effect of Trailing Edge Grid Resolution in Large-Eddy Simulations

Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) with environmental barrier coating can tolerate significantly higher temperatures compared with the conventional metal alloy blades and thus can help achieve higher thermal efficiency in gas turbine engines. Due to the complex fabrication process of CMC blades, larger blade trailing edge thicknesses and larger leading-edge radii of curvature are expected. These features significantly alter aerodynamic performance especially near the trailing edge and thus the loss profile. In previous studies, the authors used the large eddy simulation (LES) as well as the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) coupled with an intermittency function-based transition model to simulate an aerodynamics performance of three different CMC blades and compared the predictions against the data acquired at NASA Glenn Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Rig. Although we were able to successfully predict different characteristics of aerodynamic performance among three different blades (e.g., pressure loading and integrated losses), LES consistently predicted a small recirculation bubble at the end of the suction side. This was not inconsistent with the physics of the flow, but the pressure loading, locally, near the trailing edge, and as a result, the measured wake profiles did not match the experimental data. To delve further into these issues, a new LES grid with a much finer mesh near the trailing edge was generated where the spanwise extent of the grid was increased by 50%. An LES simulation for the CMC blade with the largest trailing edge thicknesses at the high-freestream turbulence (Tu=13%) condition showed that using such a mesh is necessary for LES to accurately capture the transition phenomena on the suction side. The resulting total pressure coefficient profile and the shift of the wake profile were greatly improved.

LES↗

Overview of The Inaugural Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Training Program – Virtual Space Radiation Curriculum

The Space Radiation Element of the NASA Human Research Program initiated a virtual, annual space radiation curriculum. The Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) space radiation didactic curriculum aims to educate participants not only in the scientific aspects of space radiation but also in the agency’s risk management strategies. SHINE combines weekly seminars by speakers from NASA, other government agencies, academia, and industry, with networking sessions designed to foster collaboration between participants and interactions with NASA scientists and HRP funded investigators. The inaugural course ran weekly from February 2023 to August 2023 and was comprised of lectures, less formal coffee hours and office hours. The SHINE topics ranged from space environments to health effects and countermeasure to granting opportunities. Participants developed beam time proposals for real, proposed, or potential experiments at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. For the 2023 course, a total of 59 applications were received from which 25 participants were selected. Selected participants were citizens from 8 countries and comprised 5 graduate students, 4 postdocs, 11 scientists and 5 professors/medical doctors. Participants had a wide range of expertise including molecular and cellular biology, microbiology, botany, physiology, engineering, physics, aerospace medicine, planetary science, biostatistics, and modeling. The second annual SHINE training program is scheduled from February to August 2024. In addition, a separate SHINE space radiation practicum session, to allow participants to gain hands-on radiation experience, will be held Fall 2024 at the NSRL.

Radiation↗

Comparison of Oxygen Liquefaction Gaseous Oxygen Injection via Ullage and Dip Tube

The Cryogenic Fluid In-situ Liquefaction for Landers (CryoFILL) testing demonstrated constant and transient oxygen liquefaction in a scaled lander tank integrated with an industrial cryocooler. Early in the test series, two methods for injecting gaseous oxygen into the test tank were ran under similar constant liquefaction conditions for comparison. Gaseous oxygen was either injected directly from the lid into the ullage or bubbled up through the liquid using a dip tube that extends to the bottom of the test tank. The direct comparison of these gaseous oxygen injection methods for constant liquefaction indicated ullage injection provided a greater liquefaction rate than injection via a dip tube. Injection through the ullage was subsequently selected as the nominal injection method for the CryoFILL test series. The comparison of the two injection methods will be highlighted with a discussion of what may cause the variation in liquefaction rate.

Cryogenic Fluid Management↗

Biosentinel: The First Deep Space Biology CubeSat Mission- Mission Summary and Lessons Learned

Launched on Artemis-1, BioSentinel carries a biology experiment into deep space for the first time in 50 years. A 6U CubeSat form factor was utilized for the spacecraft which included technologies newly developed or adapted for operations beyond Earth orbit. The spacecraft carries onboard budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as an analog to human cells to test the biological response to deep space radiation. This was the maiden deep-space voyage for many of the subsystems, and the first time to evaluate their performance in flight operation. Flying a CubeSat beyond LEO comes with unique challenges with respect to trajectory uncertainty and mission operations planning. The nominal plan was a lunar fly-by, followed by an insertion into Heliocentric orbit. However, some possible scenarios included lunar eclipses that could have severely impacted the power budget during that phase of the mission, while others could have resulted in a “Retrograde” hyperbola at swing-by resulting in the spacecraft traveling inward toward Earth or even towards a collision with the lunar surface. The commissioning phase of the mission was successful and completed a week ahead of schedule. It did not come without its exciting moments and challenges. First contact with the spacecraft uncovered that the vehicle was unexpectedly tumbling after deployment, a situation that needed to be corrected urgently. The mission operations team executed a contingency plan to stabilize the spacecraft, with just moments to spare before the battery ran out of power. The BioSensor payload onboard the spacecraft is a complex instrument that includes microfluidics, fluid systems, sensor control electronics, as well at the living yeast cells. BioSentinel also included a TimePix radiation sensor implemented by JSC’s RadWorks group. Dose and Linear Energy Transfer (LET) data is compared directly to the rate of DSB-and repair events measured by the S. cerevisiae cells. BioSentinel mature nanosatellite technologies included: deep space communications and navigation, autonomous attitude control and momentum management, and micro-propulsion systems, to provide an adaptable nanosatellite platform for deep space uses. This paper discusses the performance of the BioSentinel spacecraft through the mission phase, and includes lessons learned from challenges and anomalies. BioSentinel had many successes and will be a pathfinder for future deep space CubeSats and biology missions.

BioSentinel↗

Overview of The Inaugural Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Training Program - Virtual Space Radiation Curriculum

The Space Radiation Element part of NASA Human Research Program initiated a virtual, annual space radiation curriculum. The SHINE space radiation curriculum aims to educate participants not only in the scientific aspects of space radiation but also in the agency’s risk management strategies. SHINE combines weekly seminars by speakers from NASA, other government agencies, academia, and industry, with networking sessions designed to foster collaboration between participants and interactions with NASA scientists. A total of 59 applications were received from which 25 participants were selected. The 25 participants, with citizenship from a total of 8 countries, are composed of 5 graduate students, 4 postdocs, 11 scientists and 5 professors/medical doctors. Participants have a wide range of expertise including molecular and cellular biology, microbiology, botany, physiology, engineering, physics, aerospace medicine, planetary science, biostatistics, and modeling. The inaugural course ran weekly from February 2023 to August 2023 and was comprised of lectures, less formal coffee hours and office hours. The topics covered ranged from space environments to health effects to granting opportunities. The second annual SHINE training program is scheduled from February to August 2024. In addition, a separate competitive practicum session, to allow participants to gain hands-on radiation experience, will be held Fall 2024 at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL).

SHINE↗

NASA's Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Training Program – Space Radiation Curriculum

In February 2023, the Space Radiation Element of the NASA Human Research Program initiated a virtual, annual space radiation curriculum. The Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Space Radiation Didactic Curriculum aims to educate participants not only in the scientific aspects of space radiation but also in the agency’s risk management strategies. SHINE Space Radiation Didactic Curriculum combined weekly seminars by speakers from NASA, other government agencies, academia, and industry, with networking sessions designed to foster collaboration between the competitively selected participants as well as interactions with NASA scientists and HRP funded investigators. The inaugural course ran weekly from February 2023 to August 2023 and was comprised of lectures, less formal coffee hours, and office hours. Each two-hour seminar sessions hosted 1-3 presentations on topics which ranged from the space radiation environment to health effects and countermeasure to granting opportunities. All lectures were recorded and will be published on the THREE (The Health Risks of Extraterrestrial Environments) website for public access (https://three.jsc.nasa.gov/). As a course requirement, participants developed individual or collaborative beam time proposals for real, proposed, or potential experiments at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. For the 2023 course, 25 participants were selected from a total of 59 applicants. Selected participants were citizens from 8 countries and comprised 5 graduate students, 4 postdocs, 11 scientists and 5 professors/medical doctors. Participants had a wide range of expertise including molecular and cellular biology, microbiology, botany, physiology, engineering, physics, aerospace medicine, planetary science, biostatistics, and modeling. The second annual SHINE training program is scheduled from February to August 2024. In addition, a separate SHINE Space Radiation Practicum session will be held in Fall 2024 at the NSRL. The SHINE Space Radiation Practicum is a unique opportunity that has not been available to the public since the closure of the NASA Space Radiation Summer School in 2017 and will allow a small cohort of participants competitively selected in Fall 2023 to gain hands-on radiation experience.

SHINE↗

First Observations With A Gnss Antenna to Radio Telescope Interferometer

We describe the design of a radio interferometer composed of a Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) antenna and a Very Long Baseline Interferometry radio telescope. Our eventual goal is to use this interferometer for geodetic applications including local tie measurements. The GNSS element of the interferometer uses a unique software-defined receiving system and modified commercial geodetic-quality GNSS antenna. We ran three observing sessions in 2022 between a 25 m radio telescope in Fort Davis, Texas (FD-VLBA), a transportable GNSS antenna placed within 100 m, and a GNSS antenna placed at a distance of about 9 km. We have detected a strong interferometric response with a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of over 1,000 from Global Positioning System and Galileo satellites. We also observed natural radio sources including Galactic supernova remnants and Active Galactic Nuclei located as far as one gigaparsec, thus extending the range of sources that can be referenced to a GNSS antenna by 18 orders of magnitude. These detections represent the first observations made with a GNSS antenna to radio telescope interferometer. We have developed a novel technique based on a Precise Point Positioning solution of the recorded GNSS signal that allows us to extend integration time at 1.5 GHz to at least 20 min without any noticeable SNR degradation when a rubidium frequency standard is used.

Geodesy↗

Verification Testing and VEG-05 Tomato Crop Production on the International Space Station

VEG-05 is an experiment to better define best practices for crop production and handling in space. Light can impact the growth habit, yield, nutritional composition, microbial levels, and flavor within crops and VEG-05 used the Veggie facilities on the International Space Station to grow ‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomatoes under different spectral compositions to assess these characteristics. Prior to launch, both a science verification test (SVT), and an experiment verification test (EVT) were conducted. SVT, and a previous fertilizer test, grew plants in both plant pillows and PONDS units and tested different fertilizer treatments, with each test under one of the light conditions. EVT used only plant pillows with the highest fertilizer composition tested, and two Veggie units were utilized. One Veggie had light settings consisting of equal levels of red: blue light while the second Veggie had a 90:10 ratio of red: blue light, both with the addition of ~10% green. For SVT, under the equal red: blue light treatment, fruit ripening in plant pillows was delayed. For EVT we saw fruit ripening earlier, especially in the red-rich treatment. In SVT we had mostly daily watering, and this led to excess water in plant pillows which leaked and caused fungus to grow. We reduced this excess in EVT, however, wilting events occurred. Regardless, more than 10 fruit were produced from each plant on average, with the high red treatment producing slightly heavier fruit. Microbial testing from fruit indicated that fruit were safe for consumption. VEG-05 flight operations ran December 2022 and March 2023, with considerable challenges in watering and unexpectedly low humidity on ISS during critical periods. Only 12 ripe fruit formed, and all were returned. Fruit and other samples are currently being analyzed. This research was co-funded by NASA’s Human Research Program and Space Biology.

Gioia D. Massa↗

Graphical User Interface (GUI) Implementation for Agent-Based Microbial Radiobiology Model

Sending human life past the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to explore the Moon and Mars will be challenging. The Earth’s magnetic field naturally protects life from deep-space particle radiation such as Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and Solar Particle Events (SPE); these will pose health risks to humans in deep space. Research has been done to investigate these effects, like BioSentinel, the first biological CubeSat to fly beyond the LEO, designed to culture yeast in a microfluidic device and record optical measurements of growth and metabolism. However, experiments can only report cell damage as bulk growth curves, while deep-space radiation causes damage that is heterogeneous among individual cells. AMMPER is an open-source, agent-based, computational model coded in Python to simulate the effects of deep-space radiation on individual yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to facilitate interpretation of biological radiation experiments. Version 1.0 of the code ran in a command line interface (CLI), limiting use to those familiar with modularization, object-oriented programming, and computational models. Here we present a graphical user interface (GUI) for AMMPER to increase its accessibility. GUI development included converting input points and UI files, designing an application and logo, and expanding program packages. Additionally, we added optical assistance that corresponded with simulation parameters, which included simulation type, cell type, ROS model, and radiation dosage, as well as customizable display and file exportation features. Following a pilot testing period, its structure was updated further to enhance abilities, adding increased runs, video visualization, data plotting, and an educational/tutorial component. Future work will include creating a bit installer and runtime environment for AMMPER. Ultimately, the creation of the GUI has two main goals: to facilitate the integration of computational models into the work of researchers in microbial radiobiology, and to act as an interactive and visual resource for space biology education.

yeast↗

Wind-US Simulations of the NASA 1507 Inlet Test Case

Steady-state, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed of the NASA 1507 Inlet Test Case from the 6th AIAA Propulsion Aerodynamics Workshop (PAW) held in January 2023 using the Wind-US CFD solver. The simulations were performed with bleed regions modeled as surface patches and the Slater bleed boundary condition models were applied within those regions. Both the constant-plenum-pressure and the fixed-plenum-exit bleed models where applied. The vortex generators were modeled using the Bender-Anderson-Yagle (BAY) vortex generator model. The CFD simulations were performed for inlet engine-face flow ratios varying from supercritical to subcritical inlet operation until inlet unstart. The results of the CFD simulations were compared to wind-tunnel data which included boundary layer profiles, axial static pressure distributions, bleed rates, total pressure recovery performance curves, and engine-face total pressure rake profiles. The CFD simulations were able to match most of the boundary layer rake data near the geometric throat, but the boundary layers on the centerbody were thinner than indicated by the wind-tunnel data. For the supercritical CFD simulations, the engine-face flow ratio was at least 2% to 2.5% lower than indicated by the wind-tunnel data, but still consistent with the level of supercritical bleed. The engine-face flow rates of the wind-tunnel tests had an uncertainty of ±2% which could explain the differences. The supercritical engine-face flow rates of the wind-tunnel data indicated a 5% supercritical bleed rate rather than the reported 7.18% bleed rate. The CFD simulations were able to calculate the maximum total pressure recovery of pt2/pt = 0.907 as observed for the wind-tunnel data. The CFD simulations with the constant-pressure bleed model were able to obtain a much lower engine-face total pressure ratio than indicated by both the wind-tunnel data and the CFD simulations using a fixed-plenum-exit bleed model. The CFD simulations indicated a sharp static pressure rise for the terminal shock rather than a more gradual rise indicated by the wind-tunnel data. The CFD simulations were not able to accurately compute the total pressure variation across the engine-face total pressure rake.

Supersonics↗

Simulating Transonic Buffet Aerodynamics for the Boeing Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Aircraft

The flow past the Boeing Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) aircraft is simulated with a Hybrid Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes Large-Eddy Simulations (HRLES) turbulence modeling approach to study transonic buffet onset and evaluate the predictive capability of the numerical approach. All simulations used structured overset curvilinear grids for the free-air configuration, with all simulations performed using the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics (LAVA) computational framework. Aerodynamic loads and surface pressure obtained from the HRLES solutions are compared to results from unsteady RANS (URANS) and experiments conducted at NASA Ames 11-by 11-Foot Transonic Wind Tunnel. Overall good agreement is obtained in the predicted loads and surface pressure. Unsteady pressure data from HRLES and URANS simulations is utilized to compute power spectral density (PSD) to predict transonic buffet onset and compared to the Kulite data obtained from the experiment. Comparisons of the PSD spectrum also show reasonable agreement with the wind tunnel data, with HRLES and URANS predicting buffet onset at a slightly earlier angle-of-attack than the experiment.

AATT↗

NASA HECC Geometry and Performance Review Part 1: Validation of a Computational Model for the Vaneless Diffuser Configuration with As-Manufactured Impeller Geometry

An investigation of the NASA High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor (HECC) vaneless diffuser configuration was performed. This multipart investigation presents an extensive validation of the computational model against experimental data. The validated model was then used to explore the effects geometric differences between the as-manufactured and design-intent impellers. Lastly, the validated model was used for comparison against an experimental tip clearance study. Part I of the investigation focused on describing the HECC vaneless computational model and its validation against the experimental data published in GT2023-103128. To generate the model, a verification of the manufactured impeller was performed and was confirmed to match the impeller CAD. Section data from the impeller CAD, referred to as the As-Manufactured geometry, were used for development of the computational model. Steady RANS simulations utilizing the Wilcox K-Omega 98 turbulence model and a multiblock structured mesh were used to conduct a mesh convergence study. The resultant mesh was then used for simulations at both design-speed and off-design speed conditions. The simulations compared well to data in both 1D and 2D terms for the major performance metrics of efficiency, total pressure rise, and total temperature rise. Based on the observed results the model was deemed validated and was used in the latter two parts of the multipart investigation.

centrifugal compressor↗

Nonlinear Dynamic Control Derivative Analysis for Aircraft with Application to Transonic Truss-Braced Wing

This paper presents the development of a nonlinear dynamic control derivative estimation method. A nonlinear aerodynamic model is developed to account for the effects of large control surface deflections on aircraft aerodynamic forces and moments. A series of unsteady RANS CFD simulations is performed to simulate the control surface oscillations at various reduced frequencies. The time-domain data are transformed into the frequency-domain data by a Fourier series analysis. Transfer functions of the dynamic control derivatives are then estimated by a frequency-domain regression. The method is applied to the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) to estimate the dynamic control derivatives for the elevator, aileron, and rudder.

Aircraft Control Derivatives↗

LES Analysis of Loss Anomaly in a Turbine Blade with Large Trailing Edge Radius

There is great interest in the usage of Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) as a turbine blade material. CMCs can tolerate higher temperatures than alloyed metallic blades, resulting in better thermal efficiency of gas turbine engines. However, depending on the manufacturing process of the CMC, blades may have a larger trailing edge thickness. The design space therefore needs to be updated due to the resulting flow physics. Recently, experimental results acquired at NASA Glenn Transonic Turbine Blade Cascade Rig showed that a loss measure generally increased with increasing trailing edge thickness. For one case however, the losses initially decreased with increasing Reynolds number but rose and peaked at Re ~1.24x10 6 and then subsequently dropped to the original pre-peak trend. A possible cause of this intriguing phenomenon was speculated to be transonic vortex shedding, which is the mechanism of vortex shedding promoted by reflected shed pressure waves at the trailing edge at relatively high Reynolds numbers and higher Mach numbers. A Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) analysis or a low-resolution large eddy simulation (LES) does not reproduce this apparent anomaly and thus it is worth performing a wall-resolved LES (the total mesh count of ~290 million cells) to investigate the aerodynamics of the CMC blade in the context of transonic vortex shedding. Our numerical results at Re=1,246,350 show that the pressure waves generated by the vortex shedding in the wake travel upstream and significantly influence the transition and separation on the suction side thus enhancing the said vortex shedding in the wake. This feedback seems not to hold under a low-Re condition (Re=621,900). The Reynolds number dependence was also examined by numerical perturbation of the pressure waves in the wake and by examining how such perturbation attenuates or endures. It is confirmed that the perturbation of the pressure waves is quickly damped.

LES↗

Computational Aerodynamics Study of the Lift+Cruise VTOL Concept Vehicle Components

This paper describes a building-block approach for high-fidelity computational fluid dynamic simulations of NASA’s Lift+Cruise (L+C) Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) concept vehicle. The Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are solved on overset structured grids using OVERFLOW. For these analyses, overset meshes are generated using recently developed automated meshing tools. A baseline study is initially performed on the vehicle fuselage with wings and tails. Vehicle components such as pylons and gears are then added individually and together to study incremental component aerodynamic effects. The results from this study are also used to demonstrate the capabilities of the automatic meshing tools for performing rapid computational analyses.

RVLT↗

Slow Solar Wind Connection Science during Solar Orbiter's First Close Perihelion Passage

The Slow Solar Wind Connection Solar Orbiter Observing Plan (Slow Wind SOOP) was developed to utilize the extensive suite of remote-sensing and in situ instruments on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission to answer significant outstanding questions regarding the origin and formation of the slow solar wind. The Slow Wind SOOP was designed to link remote-sensing and in situ measurements of slow wind originating at open–closed magnetic field boundaries. The SOOP ran just prior to Solar Orbiter's first close perihelion passage during two remote-sensing windows (RSW1 and RSW2) between 2022 March 3–6 and 2022 March 17–22, while Solar Orbiter was at respective heliocentric distances of 0.55–0.51 and 0.38–0.34 au from the Sun. Coordinated observation campaigns were also conducted by Hinode and IRIS. The magnetic connectivity tool was used, along with low-latency in situ data and full-disk remote-sensing observations, to guide the target pointing of Solar Orbiter. Solar Orbiter targeted an active region complex during RSW1, the boundary of a coronal hole, and the periphery of a decayed active region during RSW2. Postobservation analysis using the magnetic connectivity tool, along with in situ measurements from MAG and SWA/PAS, showed that slow solar wind originating from two out of three of the target regions arrived at the spacecraft with velocities between ∼210 and 600 km s −1 . The Slow Wind SOOP, despite presenting many challenges, was very successful, providing a blueprint for planning future observation campaigns that rely on the magnetic connectivity of Solar Orbiter.

Slow solar wind↗

Cryogenic Extension of NASA Species Polynomials Using Hydrogen and Oxygen at Stoichiometry

NASA has been conducting research in Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines (RDREs) for several years. A recent test at the Marshall Spaceflight Center has successfully shown operation of a RDRE that ran for 251 seconds which had combustion chamber cryogenic inlet conditions [1]. However, an overall pressure gain was not observed in the performance of the engine. Such an indication could mean an optimal chamber design is yet to be discovered. Such a design could significantly reduce parasitic pressure loses and improve overall engine efficiency beyond that of conventional rockets. To investigate different chamber configurations, new CFD capability is needed to accurately capture cryogenic thermophysical and transport property data. Such an effort is currently part of NASA’s Early Career Initiative (ECI) program. This paper focuses on the thermophysical property mixture model approach that makes use of NASA’s polynomial fits of species and another cryogenic model chosen from NIST’s Refprop program. Presented in this paper are results of a 1D denotation CFD simulation of stoichiometric Hydrogen and Oxygen mixture at a cryogenic upstream condition.

Combustion↗