CFD ANALYSIS OF SULFURIC ACID PARTICLES AND NITROGEN GAS FLOW WITHIN A VENUSIAN CLOUD TEST CHAMBER

This paper summarized the work of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations for sulfuric acid and N2 gas flow in a Venusian Cloud test chamber. In lieu of experimental flow visualization the CFD simulations were carried out in order to ascertain the effect of injection nozzle geometry on the uniformity of mixing within the test chamber. The CFD simulations are ultimately used to guide the injection nozzle design of the Venusian cloud chamber. The methodology of the CFD model and assumptions related gamma to the results are detailed in the paper. The uniformity index figure of merit, within ANSYS FLUENT gives 0 < gamma < 1 whereby gamma=0 corresponds to low uniformity while =1 predicts high uniformity. The simulations herein afford nozzle injection geometry leading to an average uniformity index on the order of gamma=0.67.