TAG: GS 3: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
THE CONTEXT: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed an in-house Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software called PraVaHa (Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis) at its Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
EXPLANATION:
- This software can simulate external and internal flows on various aerospace vehicles, including launch vehicles, winged and non-winged re-entry vehicles.
Importance of PraVaHa
- Initial aerodynamic design studies for launch vehicles require evaluating a large number of potential configurations.
- Any aerospace vehicle moving through the Earth’s atmosphere during launch or re-entry is subjected to severe aerodynamic and aerothermal loads in terms of external pressure and heat flux.
- Understanding the airflow around aircraft, rocket bodies, or crew modules during re-entry is essential to design the shape, structure, and Thermal Protection System (TPS) for these bodies.
Role of CFD in PraVaHa
- The unsteady part of aerodynamics contributes to serious flow issues around rocket bodies and creates significant acoustic noise during missions.
- CFD is a tool to predict aerodynamic and aerothermal loads by numerically solving the equations for conservation of mass, momentum, and energy, along with the equation of state.
- CFD has matured enough in terms of accurate predictions for complex aerodynamic flows and faster simulation turnaround times on High-Performance Computing Clusters.
Applications of PraVaHa
- PraVaHa has been extensively used in the Gaganyaan program for aerodynamic analysis of human-rated launch vehicles, including HLVM3, Crew Escape System (CES), and Crew Module (CM).
- It is designed to leverage both CPU and GPU architectures of available and upcoming supercomputing facilities.
- The software framework is flexible and secure enough to allow collaborative development with academic institutions and government labs.
Current Capabilities and Future Developments
- Currently, the PraVaHa code can simulate airflow for Perfect Gas and Real Gas conditions.
- Validations are underway to simulate the effects of chemical reactions during air dissociation upon re-entry and combustion in scramjet vehicles.
- PraVaHa is expected to replace most of the CFD simulations for aero characterization, which are currently being carried out using commercial software.
- This indigenous software is expected to help academia and other institutions engaged in the design of missiles, aircraft, and rockets to find solutions to complex aerodynamic problems.
PraVaHa (Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis):
- PraVaHa (Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis) is a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at its Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
- This software can simulate external and internal flows on various aerospace vehicles, including launch vehicles, winged and non-winged re-entry vehicles.
- The software has been extensively used in the Gaganyaan program for aerodynamic analysis of human-rated launch vehicles, such as HLVM3, Crew Escape System (CES), and Crew Module (CM).
- PraVaHa is designed to leverage both CPU and GPU architectures, ensuring compatibility with existing and future supercomputing facilities, and fostering collaboration with academic and government institutions.