Simulation methodologies which describe complex, Multiphase, flow phenomena including cavitation, cryogenic fluid management, coolant spray and impinging jets will be developed. Accurately described real fluid properties will be employed in an integrated simulation tool, that involves thermodynamics and fluid dynamics models, to describe local vaporization phenomena in liquid rocket engine propellant delivery systems, propellant tanks and the test facilities. Bubbly flows will be simulated with a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture model, which emphasizes the computational efficiency and modeling effectiveness. Cavitating venturi meter and pump flows, cryogenic propellant tank filling processes and evaporating cooling jets can be analyzed with this methodology. More accurate propellant metering, oscillatory inlet flow characterization and accurate description of the thermodynamics environment of cryogenic fluid systems will be the result of this project. Other complex flows in propellant delivery systems or coolant flows in test facilities will also be amenable to analysis with the produced methodology. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS Advanced propulsion systems of the reusable launch vehicle designs require heavy testing in the liquid propellant supply systems. Cryogenic propellants are usually stored near the saturation conditions. This means that system optimization would involve a lot of analyses trying to identify the possible onset of cavitation anywhere in the supply systems. Also, analyses to predict the phase change due to thermal flushing is also important in cryogenic fluid management. This requirement is shared across the Government agencies and the private industry, which organizations are involved in aerospace research and development. Cross industry application may also include marine propulsor designs for cavitation diagnostics, water pumps design, valve operation design in industrial liquid flow circuits and artificial heart design, etc. The fundamental multiphase flow physics involved in these applications are similar to what are proposed in this research. There may be some application specific variations in fluid properties that required further tailoring to have good representation of the type of flow under investigation. With these issue resolved in the Phase II and Phase III research, the present multiphase flow analyzer will become widely accepted in the industry.
