Aerothermodynamic design optimization of planetary vehicle

Abstract

The present work deals with the design optimization of different vehicle configurations for planetary entry. Choosing the aerothermodynamic characteristics of heat flux and drag as the objective function we have analyzed and simulated the effects of atmospheric resistance on planetary entry vehicles in the rarefied atmosphere. We have utilized the SPARTA (Stochastic PArallel Rarefied-gas Time-accurate Analyzer) DSMC simulator for our simulation. The optimization is carried out with the help of MATLAB optimization module. We have simulated the descent of the existing design of planetary entry vehicles and compared the aero-thermal characteristics of each entry vehicle. The present work demonstrates two of the planetary atmospheric conditions, the first one is Earth, and the later one is Mars. The vehicle geometry is then optimized according to the planetary atmospheric conditions. This work ultimately provides insight into how the effects of geometrical parameters play a pivotal role in the aerothermal loads of planetary entry vehicles.