NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Collections About News Help Login
Back to Results
Optimal trajectories for an aerospace plane. Part 1: Formulation, results, and analysisThe optimization of the trajectories of an aerospace plane is discussed. This is a hypervelocity vehicle capable of achieving orbital speed, while taking off horizontally. The vehicle is propelled by four types of engines: turbojet engines for flight at subsonic speeds/low supersonic speeds; ramjet engines for flight at moderate supersonic speeds/low hypersonic speeds; scramjet engines for flight at hypersonic speeds; and rocket engines for flight at near-orbital speeds. A single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) configuration is considered, and the transition from low supersonic speeds to orbital speeds is studied under the following assumptions: the turbojet portion of the trajectory has been completed; the aerospace plane is controlled via the angle of attack and the power setting; the aerodynamic model is the generic hypersonic aerodynamics model example (GHAME). Concerning the engine model, three options are considered: (EM1), a ramjet/scramjet combination in which the scramjet specific impulse tends to a nearly-constant value at large Mach numbers; (EM2), a ramjet/scramjet combination in which the scramjet specific impulse decreases monotonically at large Mach numbers; and (EM3), a ramjet/scramjet/rocket combination in which, owing to stagnation temperature limitations, the scramjet operates only at M approx. less than 15; at higher Mach numbers, the scramjet is shut off and the aerospace plane is driven only by the rocket engines. Under the above assumptions, four optimization problems are solved using the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm for optimal control problems: (P1) minimization of the weight of fuel consumed; (P2) minimization of the peak dynamic pressure; (P3) minimization of the peak heating rate; and (P4) minimization of the peak tangential acceleration.
Document ID
19910006700
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
Authors
Miele, Angelo (Rice Univ. Houston, TX, United States)
Lee, W. Y. (Rice Univ. Houston, TX, United States)
Wu, G. D. (Rice Univ. Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Subject Category
Aircraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-187868
AAR-247
NAS 1.26:187868
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Control Conference
Location: San Diego, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: May 23, 1990
End Date: May 25, 1990
Accession Number
91N16013
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG1-1029
CONTRACT_GRANT: TATP-003604020
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Related Records

There are no records associated with this record.
No Preview Available