Application of the CONTAM 3 computer model to the prediction of heating, forces, and contamination on a communications satellite

The CONTAM 3 computer model recently was applied to the design of the OLYMPUS (previously L-SAT) commercial communication satellite. Nearly the full range of CONTAM model capabilities were exercised during this application. Extensive use of the TPP subprogram resulted in the identification and quantification of unburned propellant droplets, unburned propellant vapor, and contaminant wall film, present in the exhaust plume of the R-4D-11 liquid apogee engine and R6C reaction control and translational bipropellant thrusters. The MULTRAN subprogram was used to define high altitude multiphase nozzle and plume flowfield, including nozzle boundary layer expansion into the backflow region. Chemical kinetics were considered along streamlines. The resulting plume flowfield was sorted along streamlines and formatted to be compatible with both the NASA PLIMP code for the prediction of impingement heating, forces, and moments, and with the CONTAM 3/SURFACE subprogram for the prediction of impingement flux, abrasion, deposition, and contaminant effects. Both PLIMP and CONTAM 3/SURFACE were exercised.