Development of a Parallel CFD Solver SPARTA for Aerothermodynamic Analysis

PARTA is a Java based parallel multi-threaded, full three-dimensional finite volume compressible flow solver on multiple block structured grids. The flow solver is graphical user interface driven and platform independent as well. The flow geometry may be either planar or axisymmetric. Finite-rate reaction kinetics, thermal and chemical non-equilibrium and high temperature transport coefficients are all developed and incorporated into the solver. Zero, One and Two equation turbulent models have been implemented in the solver for turbulence modeling. The flow domain is discretized by a structured grid and a finite-volume approach is used to discretize the conservation equations. One of the several schemes can be chosen from the user interface to calculate Inviscid fluxes across cell faces while central differences schemes are used to calculate the viscous fluxes. The CFD solver includes a geometry engine to generate surface and volume grids, trajectory engine to generate trajectory data given the appropriate atmospheric models, aerodynamic flow solver to calculate the aerodynamic forces and moments and finally hooked to the Navier-Stokes engine. Probe models can also be selected automatically from the graphical user and the database. The database comprises vehicle dimensions, trajectory data, and aero-thermal, Thermal Protection Systems data for many different ballistic entry vehicles. Material properties for Carbon and Silicon based ablators have been obtained and can be accessed from the database. Comparative data analysis capability is achieved through a Relational Database Management System. Atmospheric models can be selected from the graphical user interface so that the multi-species to be solved are automatically populated before the solver is invoked. Sparta has been integrated to a planetary probe database and a trajectory code to study trajectory analysis, aerodynamic heating and flow-field analysis. The purpose of this research is twofold: To investigate a pure Java based multi-threaded parallel processing CFD solver. To implement a semi-automatic and interactive solver for aerothermodynamics such that grids can be generated automatically given the geometry of the vehicles, trajectory data can be generated given the atmospheric model and TPS material from the graphical interface and generate flow field information for atmospheric entry vehicles. Sparta accepts hooks from the trajectory so that inputs for the flow solver can come from the trajectory output making it the solver trajectory driven. This publication addresses the CFD development, implementation and capabilities of the parallel flow solver Sparta.

[1]  J. E. Pavlosky,et al.  Apollo experience report: Thermal protection subsystem , 1974 .

[2]  T. J. Coakley,et al.  Turbulence modeling methods for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations , 1983 .

[3]  E. Anderson,et al.  A computer program for two-dimensional and axisymmetric nonreacting perfect gas and equilibrium chemically reacting laminar, transitional and-or turbulent boundary layer flows , 1971 .

[4]  Michael N. Macrossan,et al.  The equilibrium flux method for the calculation of flows with non-equilibrium chemical reactions , 1989 .

[5]  G. Candler,et al.  Data-Parallel Line Relaxation Method for the Navier -Stokes Equations , 1998 .

[6]  P. Spalart.  A One-Equation Turbulence Model for Aerodynamic Flows , 1992 .

[7]  M. Liou,et al.  A New Flux Splitting Scheme , 1993 .

[8]  Tuncer Cebeci,et al.  A Finite-Difference Method for Calculating Compressible Laminar and Turbulent Boundary Layers , 1970 .

[9]  E. Anderson,et al.  Numerical solution of the hypersonic viscous-shock-layer equations for laminar, transitional, and turbulent flows of a perfect gas over blunt axially symmetric bodies , 1975 .

[10]  F. R. Riddell,et al.  Theory of Stagnation Point Heat Transfer in Dissociated Air , 1958 .

[11]  Peter A. Gnoffo,et al.  Wake flow about a MESUR Mars entry vehicle , 1994 .

[12]  Graham V. Candler,et al.  The solution of the Navier-Stokes equations using Gauss-Seidel line relaxation , 1989 .

[13]  Prabhakar Subrahmanyam,et al.  Web-Based Computational Investigation of Aerothermodynamics of Atmospheric Entry Vehicles , 2006 .

[14]  Prabhakar Subrahmanyam.  Database Driven Computational Investigation of Aerothermodynamics And Automatic Grid Generation of Atmospheric Entry Vehicles , 2005 .

[15]  Tuncer Cebeci,et al.  Behavior of turbulent flow near a porous wall with pressure gradient , 1970 .

[16]  Gerald D. Walberg,et al.  An Investigation of Ablation Behavior of Avcoat 5026/39M Over a Wide Range of Thermal Environments. , 1969 .

[18]  P. Kallemeyn,et al.  Mars Pathfinder Entry, Descent, and Landing Reconstruction , 1999 .

[19]  P. Gnoffo.  An upwind-biased, point-implicit relaxation algorithm for viscous, compressible perfect-gas flows , 1990 .

[20]  P. Roe.  Approximate Riemann Solvers, Parameter Vectors, and Difference Schemes , 1997 .

[21]  Meng-Sing Liou,et al.  An Accurate and Robust Flux Splitting Scheme for Shock and Contact Discontinuities , 1997, SIAM J. Sci. Comput..

[22]  F. Menter.  Two-equation eddy-viscosity turbulence models for engineering applications , 1994 .

[23]  Cheatwood F. McNeil,et al.  User''s Manual for the Langley Aerothermodynamic Upwind Relaxation Algorithm (LAURA) , 1996 .

[24]  C. Hargraves,et al.  DIRECT TRAJECTORY OPTIMIZATION USING NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING AND COLLOCATION , 1987 .

[25]  Meng-Sing Liou,et al.  A Flux Splitting Scheme with High-Resolution and Robustness for Discontinuities(Proceedings of the 12th NAL Symposium on Aircraft Computational Aerodynamics) , 1994 .

[26]  H. C. Yee,et al.  A class of high resolution explicit and implicit shock-capturing methods , 1989 .

[27]  H. Lomax,et al.  Thin-layer approximation and algebraic model for separated turbulent flows , 1978 .

[28]  E. R. Hillje.  Entry aerodynamics at lunar return conditions obtained from the flight of Apollo 4 /AS-501/ , 1969 .

[29]  C. Park,et al.  On convergence of computation of chemically reacting flows , 1985 .

[30]  Sanford Gordon,et al.  Computer program for calculating and fitting thermodynamic functions , 1992 .

[31]  G. L. Brauer,et al.  Capabilities and applications of the Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST). Program summary document , 1977 .

[32]  P. W. Huber.  Hypersonic shock-heated flow parameters for velocities to 46,000 feet per second and altitudes to 323,000 feet , 1963 .

[33]  H. C. Yee,et al.  On symmetric and upwind TVD schemes , 1985 .