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RAREFIED GAS AERODYNAMIC BRIDGING PROCEDURES

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 6782
Amount: $490,710.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1989
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
3304 Westmill Dr
Huntsville, AL 35805
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 E C Knox
 () -
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

THE NEXT GENERATION OF SPACEFLIGHT VEHICLES, SUCH AS THE AFECURRENTLY BEING DESIGNED, WILL REQUIRE MORE PRECISE PREDICTIONS OF THE VEHICLE AERODYNAMICS IN THE TRANSITIONAL FLOW REGIME THAN WAS ACHIEVED WITH THE SPACE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. THIS IS NECESSITATED BY THE NEED TO REDUCE ONBOARD GUIDANCE AND CONTROL CONSUMABLES IN FAVOR OF INCREASED PAYLOAD. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PHASE I STUDY IS TO REVISIT THE BRIDGING TECHNIQUES AND FORMULAS USED TO CONNECTTHE CONTINUUM WITH THE FREE-MOLECULAR FLOW REGIME IN PREDICTING THE AERODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF VEHICLES DESIGNED TO FLY IN THE RAREFIED GAS REGIME, TO IDENTIFY THE SUITABLE CORRELATION PARAMETERS AND BRIDGING TECHNIQUES, TO ANALYZE AND COMPARE THESE PARAMETERS WITH AVAILABLE EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND COMPUTER CODES, LOOKING AT POSSIBLY A MORE FLEXIBLE METHOD OF LOCAL CORRELATION, PROVIDING A MORE FLEXIBLE MEANS OF CONDUCTING CONFIGURATION SENSITIVITY STUDIES, AND FINALLY TO RECOMMEND IMPROVED PROCEDURES FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE BRIDGING TECHNIQUES. IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE IMPROVED PROCEDURES INTO AVAILABLE CODES AND DESIGNTOOLS, THEIR VERIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION WOULD THEN BE ACCOMPLISHED IN A PROPOSED PHASE II STUDY.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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