Microgravity Experiment using Drop Tower and CFD-DEM Coupled Simulation about Plume-Surface Interaction

The scattering regolith during landing and take-off is one of the most important issues in planetary exploration because it affects not only spacecraft system such as optical component and thermal subsystem but also planetary protection. This issued is called Plume-Surface Interaction. However, there are very few numerical simulations to verify the microgravity experiments for planetary exploration. In this study, a coupled CFD and DEM analysis was conducted for a microgravity experiment using a drop tower. A coupled CFD-DEM analysis was performed to precisely simulate the behavior of sand scattered by air injected into a vacuum chamber.