Real time simulation for lunar dust blown by engine exhaust plume

The spray of lunar dust at a lunar landing site is necessary for lunar soft landing simulation. For the model that predicted trajectories of lunar dust blown by the engine exhaust is too simple and the 3D visualization is not strong sense of reality, a physics-based simulation for real-time movement of lunar dust was presented. Using computational fluid dynamics(CFD) and Quadratic Shepard’s interpolation, the lunar dust particle trajectory path was simulated by analyzing and computing the ballistics model. A set of particles in the lunar particle system was extracted by analyzing number of particles, initial position, initial velocity, life cycle and other parameters on particle kinematics and variation. Lunar dust particle system based on the particle set was built. The results show lunar dust particles propelled by engine exhaust including jumping, splashing, diffusing and dissipating with visual realism and good real-time. This method has a certain significance for studying trajectories of lunar dust in a vacuum and other related fields. The method has been successfully applied in simulation system of a lunar soft landing.