Aerodynamic Shape Optimization of Membrane Aeroshell Aerocapture Vehicle

Abstract

In this paper, flexible aeroshell shape optimization method for aerocapture mission is formulated using particle based membrane model and GA with response surface modeling. And the calculation is conducted considering various objective function. As a result, it is shown that proposed shape optimization method for flexible aeroshell vehicle works properly, and thus gives reasonable solutions. In this analysis, three clusters of solution sets are obtained; 1) solutions which minimized fuel mass fraction, 2) solutions which minimized both TPS mass fraction and outer frame mass fraction, 3) solutions which minimized ballistic coefficient. Cluster 1) could reduce the total mass fraction most in three kinds of clusters. It shows that fuel mass is much more sensitive to total mass than any other required mass for assumed entry condition. And also, tradeoff relation ship between minimization of fuel mass fraction and minimization of outer frame mass fraction.