Development of the Next-Generation Electric Field (ELF II) Analysis Codes
Abstract
The ELF II program extended the Phase I codes to handle problems encountered in space pulsed power systems design, and applied the resulting next-generation ELF2 codes to numerically analyze electric stresses which could initiate potential breakdown mechanisms in critical subsystems in a specific real application of interest to SDI. The ELF codes are uniquely suited to electric field analysis in the presence of arbitrarily-shaped conductors and non-homogeneous, nonlinear and time-dependent plasmas because of their unique boundary-fitted grid generation approach and their efficient finite-difference methods. The chosen paradigm problem was the Space Power Experiments Aboard Rockets III (SPEAR III) payload. The challenges lead to a new grid generator which conserves boundary mode stretching and a new topological flexibility based on grid cut-outs. This report describes the approaches used and new capabilities developed, including user instructions. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA245203
Entities
People
- Angel E. Rodriguez
- Kambiz Salari
- Kenell J. Touryan
- Patrick J. Roache