Modular, Fast Model for Design and Optimization of Hypersonic Vehicle Propulsion Systems

摘要

The development of cheaper, more efficient access to space is fundamental to the viability of many current and future ambitions for space exploitation and exploration. Vehicle concepts that combine rocket-based and airbreathing propulsion are considered as one avenue to reduce the cost and risk of space access. Key to the practicality of such vehicles is the further development of their propulsion technology. This paper describes initial steps toward the construction of an engineering tool, called the hybrid propulsion optimizer, which is especially well-suited to analyzing the performance of the many combined cycle propulsion concepts proposed for this purpose. As such, the model is conceived to be modular and flexible, and it makes use of a sequence of simplified numerical analyses where possible. The model is also fully parametric. This is to allow its efficient use within the context of design optimization. The tool has been here verified and validated against experimental data and other analyses across a set of various engines and operating conditions, thus demonstrating its flexibility. Validations and verifications have been performed both at propulsion system level and at component level, showing a good accuracy of the code, almost always within the uncertainty of the reference data.