TAPIR Seminar - NOTE: Location change

Mars

Adam Lichtl, Director of Research, SpaceX,

SpaceX is developing a methane-fueled engine large enough to support a Mars colonization mission. To aid in its design, SpaceX's Numerical Combustion team is building a multiphysics code seeking to model the injection and combustion process in exquisite detail, down to the turbulent eddies which mix the propellants and largely govern the combustion efficiency. The large range of spatial and temporal scales, coupled with the complexity of chemistry and diffusion processes inside a rocket engine, present significant challenges to simulation on even the largest supercomputers. We present an approach which uses wavelet-based variable resolution grids to capture all the physics down to the finest turbulent scales. When this approach is hardware accelerated using GPUs, the result is a stunning look into the nuanced behavior of non-premixed turbulent combustion.

In July of 2009, SpaceX became the first private company to successfully deliver a commercial satellite into orbit, using a rocket designed and manufactured completely in-house. Under a $1.6 billion contract with NASA, SpaceX currently resupplies the International Space Station. Current efforts include the recovery of a first-stage from space, certification for manned flight, and entry into the satellite market.

Event Sponsors:

Theoretical AstroPhysics Including Relativity and Cosmology (TAPIR) - More events from this Sponsor

For more information, please contact JoAnn Boyd by phone at 4280 or by email at [email protected].