Hybrid Numerical Simulation Of
Nonequilibrium Gas and Plasma Dynamics
Iain D. Boyd, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Nonequilibrium conditions occur in the gas and plasma flows of a number of applications such as hypersonic vehicles, spacecraft propulsion systems, and micro-scale devices. In this presentation, a summary is provided of our development and application of combined fluid-kinetic methods for simulating such flows. Work on hypersonic flows is illustrated using recent results obtained with a new hybrid fluid-particle method. Development of hybrid particle-fluid methods for plasma propulsion systems is demonstrated through application to the plumes of Hall thrusters used on spacecraft.
IAIN D. BOYD received a B. S. in Mathematics (1985) and a Ph. D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics (1988) from the University of Southampton in England. He worked for four years as a contractor at NASA Ames Research Center in the area of aerothermodynamics. Dr. Boyd was a faculty member in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University for 6 years, and has been in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan for 6 years where he is a full professor. His research interests involve development of physical models and numerical algorithms using particle methods with applications to a variety of nonequilibrium gas and plasma dynamic systems. He has authored over 100 journal articles and over 150 conference papers. He is the recipient of the
1998 AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award, the 1997 AIAA Electric Propulsion Best Paper Award, an Associate Fellow of the AIAA, and is an associate editor of the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets.