An Analysis of Particulate Removal from the TITAN Rocket Exhaust Cloud

Abstract

A simplified analytical model is developed to analyze the removal of A12O3 particles from the TITAN rocket exhaust cloud. The model incorporates the physical processes of deposition and impact collection and includes consideration of particle size spectra. Results of computations are in good agreement with the measurements and show that sedimentation plays the most important role in the removal of the mass of material in the elevated ground cloud within the first hour after launch. The model allows for easy estimates of airborne concentrations and sedimentation when relevant sounding, exhaust mass and estimates of initial particle size distribution data are available.