OPTIMIZATION OF ASCENT TRAJECTORY AND MASS BUDGET PREDICTION FOR A LOW POWER EXPERIMENTAL ROCKET: A CASE STUDY FOR CENTRE FOR SPACE TRANSPORT AND PROPULSION, EPE, NIGERIA

摘要

This paper presents numerical results of a study concerned with simultaneous optimization of the ascenttrajectory of an aerospace vehicle and propellant mass budget. A nonlinear aerospace vehicle was modeled inSimulink, and a MATLAB Graphical User Interface (GUI) was developed for the propellant budget estimation. Themodels implemented relates empirically to the mass interrelationship among various propulsion subsystems as afunction of velocity at the end of the trajectory.The vehicle under consideration is modeled as a rigid body and its motion restricted to two degrees of freedom,while the mass budget model involves empirically related mass inter relationship among various propulsionsubsystems as a function of velocity at the end of the trajectory. The range of the trajectory and other performanceindex (es) were also evaluated.The research is intended to implement a design process for trajectory optimization and propulsion systems massbudget estimation for preliminary analysis and study at the Centre for Space Transport and Propulsion, Epe, Lagos,Nigeria. In addition, Mass Budget Predictor is designed and implemented as a tool to perform quick structural andpropulsion mass budget and evaluation. It also in one stroke gives a vivid picture of a good design against a baddesign.