Ares: A Coupling Methodology for Ablation Modeling

A multi-physics framework was developed to enable modeling of complex and coupled ablation problems. A methodology for modeling shape change in coupled systems is presented. The approach taken to model gas-surface interactions and translate coupled surface phenomena to physically meaningful boundary conditions in the distinct solvers is discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on the nature of coupled boundary conditions pertaining to surface energy and mass balances, as well as surface chemistry modeling. The developed methodology is used to simulate a shear test in arc-jet conditions to assess the validity of the coupled approach and the implementation of the relevant physical processes.