The development of a new model to simulate the dispersion of rocket exhaust clouds

Abstract This study presents the development of a new model named MSRED, which was designed to simulate the formation, rise, expansion, stabilisation and dispersion of rocket exhaust clouds for short-range assessment, using a three-dimensional semi-analytical solution of the advection–diffusion equation based on the ADMM method. For long-range modelling, the MSRED was built to generate a ready-to-use initial conditions file to be input to the CMAQ model, as it represents the state-of-the-art in regional and chemical transport air quality modelling. Simulations and analysis were carried out in order to evaluate the application of this integrated modelling system for different rocket launch cases and atmospheric conditions, for the Alcantara Launching Center (ALC, the Brazilian gate to the space) region. This hybrid, modern and multidisciplinary system is the basis of a modelling framework that will be employed at ALC for pre- and post-launching simulations of the environmental effects of rocket operations.

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