Kristina Kraakmo, University of Central Florida


A Geometric Algorithm for Linear Constraint Satisfiability

Abstract: When rocket propelled landers encounter a granular surface, there is potential for crater formation depending on the amount of rocket exhaust. The formation of a crater can cause projectile soil to impair visibility during the landing and damage nearby spacecraft. Furthermore, landing inside a crater can cause susceptibility of the rocket lander to the collapsing of soil beneath it. In order to ensure the safety of the crew and equipment, it is imperative to understand the conditions under which cratering will occur. We develop a model to predict cratering by numerically approximating the solution to a system of partial differential equations for different exhaust and soil parameters. This model simulates the pressure of the rocket by using Darcy's law for the flow of an ideal gas through porous media. The corresponding displacement field of the soil is calculated using Navier's equation which allows us to solve for the stress field of the soil and utilize properties of elasticity in order to identify thresholds for crater formation.

Advisor: Brian Moore (University of Central Florida)