Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Supersonic flight'

Concorde's unique low-speed handling qualities are acceptable when flown in a rigidly procedural manner by experienced pilots. However, to be commercially viable and environmentally acceptable more numerous second generation supersonic transport (SST) aircraft would have increased passenger carrying capacity, range and the flexibility to integrate with sub-sonic air traffic. Their much larger size, weight and inertia compared to Concorde's, combined with increasing levels of relaxed longitudinal stability to improve aerodynamic efficiency, results in unstable dynamics and degraded handling qualities on the final approach, where precise manual flightpath control is required. Modern fly-by-wire command and stability augmentation systems can restore stability, provide task tailored command laws and an associated level of handling qualities. Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion (NDI) enables control law prototyping and analysis for the rapid assessment, of conceptual designs to identify control power and command response requirements using both off-line and real-time simulation. This study has developed and applied NDI, and its realisable form (RNDI), in a novel way to design flight control laws specifically addressing handling quality requirements using selected criteria. Piloted validation has demonstrated that NDI pitch rate command will consistently provide Level 1 low-speed handling qualities in both steady and turbulent conditions. However, the best handling qualities can be achieved through a second order pitch rate response, generated by pre-filters, designed to author-suggested constraints on control anticipation parameter (CAP). The SST pitch rate criterion envelope, modified to ensure positive pitch attitude dropback, can then be applied to verify the time response. The resulting pre-filters are easily applied to RNDI inner loop controllers and would be straightforward to implement with simple and proven sensor requirements. Carefully designed NDI normal acceleration command laws are also capable of generating Level 1 low-speed handling qualities in steady conditions. However, their degraded performance in turbulence was exacerbated, relative to the pitch rate command laws, by the use of a fixed base simulator for pilot evaluation. Further motion based simulation studies would provide, in addition to pitching motion, the normal acceleration response cues necessary for a fair command law comparison to be made.

Concorde's unique low-speed handling qualities are acceptable when flown in a rigidly procedural manner by experienced pilots. However, to be commercially viable and environmentally acceptable more numerous second generation supersonic transport (SST) aircraft would have increased passenger carrying capacity, range and the flexibility to integrate with sub-sonic air traffic. Their much larger size, weight and inertia compared to Concorde's, combined with increasing levels of relaxed longitudinal stability to improve aerodynamic efficiency, results in unstable dynamics and degraded handling qualities on the final approach, where precise manual flightpath control is required. Modern fly-by-wire command and stability augmentation systems can restore stability, provide task tailored command laws and an associated level of handling qualities. Nonlinear Dynamic Inversion (NDI) enables control law prototyping and analysis for the rapid assessment, of conceptual designs to identify control power and command response requirements using both off-line and real-time simulation. This study has developed and applied NDI, and its realisable form (RNDI), in a novel way to design flight control laws specifically addressing handling quality requirements using selected criteria. Piloted validation has demonstrated that NDI pitch rate command will consistently provide Level 1 low-speed handling qualities in both steady and turbulent conditions. However, the best handling qualities can be achieved through a second order pitch rate response, generated by pre-filters, designed to author-suggested constraints on control anticipation parameter (CAP). The SST pitch rate criterion envelope, modified to ensure positive pitch attitude dropback, can then be applied to verify the time response. The resulting pre-filters are easily applied to RNDI inner loop controllers and would be straightforward to implement with simple and proven sensor requirements. Carefully designed NDI normal acceleration command laws are also capable of generating Level 1 low-speed handling qualities in steady conditions. However, their degraded performance in turbulence was exacerbated, relative to the pitch rate command laws, by the use of a fixed base simulator for pilot evaluation. Further motion based simulation studies would provide, in addition to pitching motion, the normal acceleration response cues necessary for a fair command law comparison to be made.

A manned Mars mission will require a substantial increase in landed mass compared to previous robotic missions, beyond the capabilities of current Entry Descent and Landing, EDL, technologies, such as blunt-body aeroshells and supersonic disk-gap-band parachutes. The heaviest payload successfully landed on Mars to date is the Mars Science Laboratory which delivered the Curiosity rover with an approximate mass of 900 kg. For a human mission, a payload of magnitude 30-50 times heavier will need to reach the surface in a secure manner. According to the Global Exploration Roadmap, GER, a Human Mission to Mars, HMM, is planned to take place after year 2030. To prepare for such an event several technologies need maturing and development, one of them is to be able to use and accurately asses the performance of Supersonic Retro Propulsion, SRP, another is to be able to use inflatable heat shields. This internal study conducted at the European Space Agency, ESA, is a first investigation focusing on the Entry Descent and Landing, EDL, sequence of a manned Mars lander utilising an inflatable heatshield and SRP, which are both potential technologies for enabling future landings of heavy payloads on the planet. The thesis covers the areas of aerodynamics and propulsion coupled together to achieve a design, which considers the flight envelope constraints imposed on human missions. The descent has five different phases and they are defined as circular orbit, hypersonic entry, supersonic retropropulsion, vertical turn manoeuvre and soft landing. The focus of this thesis is on one of the phases, the SRP phase. The study is carried out with the retro-thrust profile and SRP phase initiation Mach number as parameters. Aerodynamic data in the hyper and supersonic regime are generated using Computational Fluid Dynamics, CFD, to accurately assess the retropropulsive performance. The basic concept and initial sizing of the manned Mars lander builds on a preliminary technical report from ESA, the Mission Scenarios and Vehicle Design Document. The overall optimisation process has three parts and is based on iterations between the vehicle design, CFD computations in the software DLR-Tau and trajectory planning in the software ASTOS. Two of those parts are studied, the vehicle design and the CFD,to optimise and evaluate the feasibility of SRP during the descent and test the design parameters of the vehicle. This approach is novel, the efficiency and accuracy of the method itself is discussed and evaluated. Initially the exterior vehicle Computer Aided Design, CAD, model is created, based on the Mission Scenarios and Vehicle Design Document, however updated and furthered. The propulsion system is modelled and evaluated using EcosimPRO where the nozzle characteristics, pressure levels and chemistry are defined, and later incorporated in the CAD model. The first iteration of the CFD part has an SRP range between Mach 7 and 2, which results in an evaluation of five points on the trajectory. The thrust levels, the corresponding velocity, altitude and atmospheric properties at those points can then be evaluated and later incorporated in ASTOS. ASTOS, in turn, can simulate the full trajectory from orbit to landing including the CFD data of the SRP phase. Due to time limitation only one iteration of the vehicle design and the SRP range was completed. However, the goals of the study were reached. A first assessment of SRP in Mars atmosphere has been carried out, and the aerodynamic and propulsive data has been collected to be built on in the future. The results indicate that the engines can start at a velocity of Mach 7. They also show consistency with similar studies conducted in Earths atmosphere. The current vehicle design, propulsion system and SRP range can now be furthered, updated and advanced in order to optimise the different descent phases in combination with future results from ASTOS.

Supersonic retropropulsion (SRP) is the use of retrorockets to decelerate during atmospheric flight while the vehicle is still traveling in the supersonic/hypersonic flight regime. In the context of Mars exploration, subsonic retropropulsion has a robust flight heritage for terminal landing guidance and control, but all supersonic deceleration has, to date, been performed by non-propulsive (i.e. purely aerodynamic) methods, such as aeroshells and parachutes.

Extending the use of retropropulsion from the subsonic to the supersonic regime has been identified as an enabling technology for high mass humans-to-Mars architectures. However, supersonic retropropulsion still poses significant design and control challenges, stemming mainly from the complex interactions between the hypersonic engine plumes, the oncoming air flow, and the vehicle’s exterior surface. These interactions lead to flow fields that are difficult to model and produce counter intuitive behaviors that are not present in purely propulsive or purely aerodynamic flight.

This study will provide an overview of the work done in the design of SRP systems. Optimal throttle laws for certain trajectories will be derived that leverage aero/propulsive effects to decrease propellant requirements and increase total useful landing mass. A study of the mass savings will be made for a 10 mT reference vehicle based on a propulsive version of the Orion capsule, followed by the 100 mT ellipsoid vehicle assumed by NASA’s Mars Design Reference Architecture.

The objective of this thesis is to predict shape change due to ablation and to find temperature distribution of the thermal protection system of a supersonic vehicle under aerodynamic heating by using finite element method. A subliming ablative is used as thermal protection material. Required material properties for the ablation analyses are found by using DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis) thermal analysis techniques. DSC is a thermal analysis technique that looks at how a material'
s specific heat capacity is changed by temperature and TGA is a technique in which the mass of a substance is monitored as a function of temperature. Moreover, oxyacetylene ablation tests are conducted for the subliming ablative specimens and measured recession values are compared with the analytically calculated values. Maximum difference between experimental results and analytical results is observed as 3% as seen in Table 7. For the finite element analyses, ANSYS Software is used. A numerical algorithm is developed by using programming language APDL (ANSYS Parametric Design Language) and element kill feature of ANSYS is used for simulation of ablation process. To see the effect of mesh size and time step on the solution of analyses, oxyacetylene test results are used. Numerical algorithm is also applied to the blunt-nosed section of a supersonic rocket which is made from subliming ablative material. Ablation analyses are performed for the nose section because nose recession is very important for a rocket to follow the desired trajectory and nose temperature is very important for the avionics in the inner side of the nose. By using the developed algorithm, under aerodynamic heating, shape change and temperature distribution of the nose section at the end of the flight are obtained. Moreover, effects of ablation on the trajectory of the rocket and on the flow around the rocket are examined by Missile DATCOM and CFD (computational fluid dynamics) analysis tools.

For decades, the speed of commercial aviation was constrained by the sound barrier. However, recent noticeable growth in air traffic and the recognition of the “time” as a valuable asset for passengers, call for more efficient, faster commercial transport. The commercial supersonic flight, able to fly above the speed of the sound has not been around ever since Concorde made its last trip in 2003, but it is promised to be on its way back. Currently, several existing and emerging companies are competing to revive the concept by developing and launching efficient supersonic plane between 2020-2025. The aircraft could operate on long-haul intercontinental flights about 2.6 times faster than current subsonic airplanes, targeting primarily business travelers. However, such a technological leapfrogging innovation embodies several engineering, economic, environmental and other factors, vital for its commercial success.                                The overall purpose of this master thesis is to investigate which factors could ensure the success of the upcoming supersonic commercial flight. The research will examine whether the new generation of supersonic planes can achieve maintainable commercial success by introducing industry expert opinions and exploring the perceptions of potential passengers towards supersonic flight as a possible future transportation mode.                               The limited literature on the subject created the need for descriptive research to expand the understanding. The chosen deductive approach relies on adopting the theoretical conceptions on the Theory of Disruptive Innovation and the Extended GAP Model of Service Quality. Pragmatic research philosophy is used due to the fact that it was deemed necessary to pursue multiple views to enable best answering the research questions. Qualitative interviews with ten industry experts have been conducted, capturing both the market specifications and the technical functions of the planes. Furthermore, 28 potential consumers who have flown in a business class on a long-haul flight gave valuable insights on the service quality perceptions.                                The results show that demand for supersonic flight exists and people are willing to use it as long as the plane satisfies their expectations of service quality. Based on the predictions of industry experts and the high level of curiosity of the potential customers interviewed, and their positive perceptions towards using it, the commercial  supersonic flight has the scale possibility to be highly successful. However, the upcoming supersonic aircraft should find a balance between the main service quality attributes, such as speed, comfort, convenience, and safety, in relation to the economic, environmental, and engineering challenges.

A series of direct-measuring skin friction gages were developed for a high-speed, high-temperature environment of the turbulent boundary layer in flows such as that in supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engines, with a progression from free-jet ground tests to a design for an actual hypersonic scramjet-integrated flight vehicle. The designs were non-nulling, with a sensing head that was flush with the model wall and surrounded by a small gap. Thus, the shear force due to the flow along the wall deflects the head, inducing a measurable strain. Strain gages were used to detect the strain. The gages were statically calibrated using a direct force method. The designs were verified by testing in a well-documented Mach 2.4 cold flow. Results of the cold-flow tests were repeatable and within 15% of the value of Cf estimated from simple theory. The first gage design incorporated a cantilever beam with semiconductor strain gages to sense the shear on the floating head. Cooling water was routed both internally and around the external housing in order to control the temperature of the strain gages. This first gage was installed and tested in a rocket-based-combined-cycle (RBCC) engine model operating in the scramjet mode. The free-jet facility provided a Mach 6.4 flow with P0 = 1350 psia (9310 kPa) and T0 = 2800 °R (1555 °K). Local wall temperatures were measured between 850 and 900 °R (472-500 °K). Output from the RBCC scramjet tests was reasonable and repeatable. A second skin friction gage was designed for and tested in a wind tunnel model of the Hyper-X flight vehicle scramjet engine. These unsuccessful tests revealed the need for a radically different skin friction gage design. The third and final skin friction gage was specifically developed to be installed on the Hyper-X flight vehicle. Rather than the cantilever beam and semiconductor strain gages, the third skin friction gage made use of a flexure ring and metal foil strain gages to sense the shear. The water-cooling and oil-fill used on the previous skin friction sensors were eliminated. It was qualified for flight through a rigorous series of environmental tests, including pressure, temperature, vibration, and heat flux tests. Finally, the third skin friction gage was tested in the Hyper-X Engine Model (HXEM), a full-scale-partial-width wind tunnel model of the flight vehicle engine. These tests were conducted at Mach 6.5 enthalpy with P0 = 555 psia (3827 kPa) and h0 = 900 Btu/lbm in a freejet facility. The successful testing in the wind tunnel scramjet model provided the final verification of the gage before installation in the flight vehicle engine. The development, testing, and results of all three skin friction gages are discussed.
Ph. D.

A study has been conducted of reaction controls for VSTOL aircraft using thrust augmenting ejector techniques. Rapid mixing nozzles have been developed for high pressure ejectors. Mass flow increases for sonic nozzles of up to 50\ at x/D=8 were recorded, compared with plain circular nozzles. Their use was found to improve the thrust performance of a simple ejector by 9\, and larger increases are believed possible. Results from an ejector performance prediction model were successfully compared with experimental data. The use of rapid mixing nozzles in a practical ejector design has been assessed. It is predicted that a maximum thrust increment of 20\ ·could be achieved, compared with a simple fully expanded jet flow.

One of the current goals of research in hypersonic, airbreathing propulsion is access to higher Mach numbers. A strong driver of this goal is the desire to integrate a scramjet engine into a transatmospheric vehicle airframe in order to improve performance to low Earth orbit (LEO) or the performance of a semi-global transport. An engine concept designed to access hypervelocity speeds in excess of Mach 10 is the shock-induced combustion ramjet (i.e. shcramjet). This dissertation presents numerical studies simulating the physics of a shcramjet vehicle traveling at hypervelocity speeds with the goal of understanding the physics of fuel injection, wall autoignition mitigation, and combustion instability in this flow regime. This research presents several unique contributions to the literature. First, different classes of injection are compared at the same flow conditions to evaluate their suitability for forebody injection. A novel comparison methodology is presented that allows for a technically defensible means of identifying outperforming concepts. Second, potential wall cooling schemes are identified and simulated in a parametric manner in order to identify promising autoignition mitigation methods. Finally, the presence of instabilities in the shock-induced combustion zone of the flowpath are assessed and the analysis of fundamental physics of blunt-body premixed, shock-induced combustion is accelerated through the reformulation of the Navier Stokes equations into a rapid analysis framework. The usefulness of such a framework for conducting parametric studies is demonstrated.

Historically, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has used rocket-powered vehicles as launch vehicles for access to space. A familiar example is the Space Shuttle launch system. These vehicles carry both fuel and oxidizer onboard. If an external oxidizer (such as the Earth's atmosphere) is utilized, the need to carry an onboard oxidizer is eliminated, and future launch vehicles could carry a larger payload into orbit at a fraction of the total fuel expenditure. For this reason, NASA is currently researching the use of air-breathing engines to power the first stage of two-stage-to-orbit hypersonic launch systems. Removing the need to carry an onboard oxidizer leads also to reductions in total vehicle weight at liftoff. This in turn reduces the total mass of propellant required, and thus decreases the cost of carrying a specific payload into orbit or beyond. However, achieving hypersonic flight with air-breathing jet engines has several technical challenges. These challenges, such as the mode transition from supersonic to hypersonic engine operation, are under study in NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program.

One propulsion concept that is being explored is a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy- bypass generator coupled with an off-the-shelf turbojet/turbofan. It is anticipated that this engine will be capable of operation from takeoff to Mach 7 in a single flowpath without mode transition. The MHD energy bypass consists of an MHD generator placed directly upstream of the engine, and converts a portion of the enthalpy of the inlet flow through the engine into electrical current. This reduction in flow enthalpy corresponds to a reduced Mach number at the turbojet inlet so that the engine stays within its design constraints. Furthermore, the generated electrical current may then be used to power aircraft systems or an MHD accelerator positioned downstream of the turbojet. The MHD accelerator operates in reverse of the MHD generator, re-accelerating the exhaust flow from the engine by converting electrical current back into flow enthalpy to increase thrust. Though there has been considerable research into the use of MHD generators to produce electricity for industrial power plants, interest in the technology for flight-weight aerospace applications has developed only recently.

In this research, electromagnetic fields coupled with weakly ionzed gases to slow hypersonic airflow were investigated within the confines of an MHD energy-bypass system with the goal of showing that it is possible for an air-breathing engine to transition from takeoff to Mach 7 without carrying a rocket propulsion system along with it. The MHD energy-bypass system was modeled for use on a supersonic turbojet engine. The model included all components envisioned for an MHD energy-bypass system; two preionizers, an MHD generator, and an MHD accelerator. A thermodynamic cycle analysis of the hypothesized MHD energy-bypass system on an existing supersonic turbojet engine was completed. In addition, a detailed thermodynamic, plasmadynamic, and electromagnetic analysis was combined to offer a single, comprehensive model to describe more fully the proper plasma flows and magnetic fields required for successful operation of the MHD energy bypass system.

The unique contribution of this research involved modeling the current density, temperature, velocity, pressure, electric field, Hall parameter, and electrical power throughout an annular MHD generator and an annular MHD accelerator taking into account an external magnetic field within a moving flow field, collisions of electrons with neutral particles in an ionized flow field, and collisions of ions with neutral particles in an ionized flow field (ion slip). In previous research, the ion slip term has not been considered.

The MHD energy-bypass system model showed that it is possible to expand the operating range of a supersonic jet engine from a maximum of Mach 3.5 to a maximum of Mach 7. The inclusion of ion slip within the analysis further showed that it is possible to 'drive' this system with maximum magnetic fields of 3 T and with maximum conductivity levels of 11 mhos/m. These operating parameters better the previous findings of 5 T and 10 mhos/m, and reveal that taking into account collisions between ions and neutral particles within a weakly ionized flow provides a more realistic model with added benefits of lower magnetic fields and conductivity levels especially at the higher Mach numbers. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Afin d'atteindre leur cible, les projectiles guidés d'artillerie nécessitent d'être dotés d'un dispositif de pilotage. Des surfaces de contrôle déployables et orientables sont donc nécessaires. Toutefois, le montage de gouvernes ajustables sur une ogive est une tâche mécaniquement ardue. En effet, lors du tir effectué par canon, l'équipement de bord subit une accélération significative, ce qui implique que des liaisons mécaniques particulièrement robustes doivent être conçues entre les ailettes et le corps. Cette technologie est bien maîtrisée lorsqu'elle est employée sur des projectiles de gros calibre, mais devient bien plus compliquée quand elle doit être adaptée pour être intégrée dans des petits ou moyens calibres. Néanmoins, dans des conditions de vol supersonique, des ondes de choc qui interagissent avec des surfaces solides sont susceptibles de considérablement modifier la distribution de pression. Ce principe a permis d'imaginer une méthode alternative de pilotage de projectiles supersoniques en exploitant des ondes de choc générées au moyen de petites perturbations créées à partir d'un micro-actionneur de forme cylindrique, aussi appelé micro-plot. Comme les forces de portance exercée sur un corps sont essentiellement dues à une pression appliquée sur de grandes surfaces, il a été choisi de se baser sur une configuration stabilisée par empennage. En vue de simplifier l'étude, le travail a été effectué sur un projectile académique de référence bien connu appelé le Basic Finner.Des expériences ont tout d'abord été effectuées dans la soufflerie supersonique de l'ISL sur une plaque plane comportant un plot et deux ailettes verticales. Ces mesures ont permis de valider la capacité de simulations numériques stationnaires RANS à prédire à la fois la distribution pariétale de la pression que génère un tel actionneur et le champ de vitesse de l'écoulement dans son voisinage. Les distributions de pression et de vitesse ont été mesurées en utilisant des méthodes optiques appelés Pressure Sensitive Paints (PSP) et Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) afin d'être comparés avec les résultats de la CFD. Une étude paramétrique a ensuite été menée en se basant exclusivement sur ces simulations RANS. Ces calculs ont permis de déterminer l'emplacement optimal pour lequel le plot est le plus efficace sur toute l'enveloppe de vol du projectile. A partir de cette position optimale, deux configurations spécifiques ne générant aucun moment de roulis ont été étudiées numériquement et comparés en termes d'efficacité. En utilisant les coefficients aérodynamiques résultants de ce travail, des simulations de trajectoires à 6 degrés de liberté (6-DOF) ont été réalisées avec le code de BALCO (OTAN). Celles-ci ont permis de déterminer la déviation potentielle qui peut être obtenue sur une des deux configurations retenues en employant un tel micro-actionneur. Ces simulations 6-DOF ainsi que l'effet de du plot sur le projectile ont enfin été validés lors d'une campagne d'essai en vol libre qui a eu lieu sur le champ de tir de l'ISL
In order to reach their target, guided artillery projectiles need some steering capability. Folding and adjustable control surfaces are thus necessary. However, mounting adjustable rudders on a shell is a difficult task, mechanically speaking. Indeed, during the gun launch, the onboard equipment undergoes significant acceleration so that robust mechanical joints have to be designed between the rudders and the body. This technique performs very well on large-caliber projectiles, but becomes more complicated when it has to be embedded in small- or medium-caliber ones. Nevertheless, under supersonic flight conditions, shock waves interacting with solid surfaces are likely to strongly modify the pressure distribution. This principle made it possible to imagine a way of steering small-caliber vehicles using shock waves generated by means of small disturbances created by a cylindrical-shaped micro-actuator, also called micro-pin. As lift forces exerted on a body are mainly due to the pressure applied to large surfaces, a finned configuration has been chosen. To simplify the study, the work has been conducted on the Basic Finner, a well known academic reference projectile.Experiments were first performed in the ISL supersonic wind tunnel on a flat plate on which a pin and two vertical projectile-like fins were mounted in order to validate the capability of steady RANS numerical simulations to predict both the pressure footprint of such an actuator and the flow velocity in its vicinity. Pressure and velocity distributions have been measured by using optical methods called Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PSP) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) in order to be compared with the calculation results. A parametric study was then conducted with these RANS simulations so that the optimum location for which the pin is the most effective over the complete flight envelope of the projectile could be determined. Using this optimum position two specific no-roll momentum configurations were studied numerically and compared in terms of effectiveness. By using the aerodynamic coefficients resulting from this work, 6-Degree-Of-Freedom (6-DOF) trajectory simulations were performed with the NATO BALCO code on one of these configurations in order to determine the potential deviation which can be obtained with such an actuator. These 6-DOF simulations as well as the pin effect on the projectile could finally be validated during a free-flight campaign that took place at the ISL open-range testing site

L'effet du vol d'avancement sur le bruit de choc de jets supersoniques sous-détendus est étudié de manière expérimentale. La structure de tels jets est d'abord explorée, avec et sans vol simulé. L'analyse employée allie des visualisations strioscopiques à des mesures quantitatives de pression statique et de vitesse, par vélocimétrie laser Doppler et vélocimétrie par images de particules. L'accent est mis sur l'étude de l'écoulement moyen et des propriétés de la turbulence dans la couche de mélange. L'effet du vol sur la composante tonale du bruit de choc, le screech, est ensuite examiné. A l'aide d'une antenne azimutale de microphones placée dans le champ proche acoustique, une analyse fine des modes du screech est notamment proposée. Par ailleurs, plusieurs effets de cette composante de bruit sur la dynamique du jet sont mis en évidence, en particulier l'oscillation des chocs ; on montre que cette oscillation est intimement liée au mode du screech. De manière à étudier spécifiquement la composante large bande du bruit de choc, diverses techniques de suppression du screech sont ensuite explorées.L'utilisation d'une tuyère crénelée s'est révélée satisfaisante pour l'éliminer de manière non-intrusive et a permis de déduire son influence sur le bruit de choc large bande. Enfin, l'effet du vol sur cette dernière composante est déterminé par l'étude de l'évolution de sa fréquence centrale, de son amplitude et de sa forme spectrale en situation de vol simulé. Une explication des tendances observées est alors proposée à la lumière des résultats aérodynamiques obtenus.

碩士
國防大學理工學院
兵器系統工程碩士班
101
In this thesis, the recursive input estimation method and LQG (Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian) control theory are utilized to design high-precision and robustness flight stability controller for supersonic cruise missile. The method for obtaining the disturbance input estimation ability and enhancing flight stability control performance are also proposed. The recursive input estimation with characteristics about faster computation, less measurements and low pass filter. LQG controller is based on optimal control theory has the characteristics of easy to implement. Combination of these two methods, the flight stability robust controller architecture that enables high-speed flight vehicle to maintain a stable flight performance in conditions of serious environmental disturbance are proposed. The thesis explore the flight vehicle two control issues

A new suboptimal guidance law design approach for aerospace vehicles is proposed in this thesis, followed by an advanced control design for supersonic air-breathing engines. The guidance law is designed using the newly developed Generalized Model Predictive Static Programming (G-MPSP), which is based on the continuous time nonlinear optimal control framework. The key feature of this technique is one-time backward propagation of a small-dimensional weighting matrix dynamics, which is used to update the entire control history. This key feature, as well as the fact that it leads to a static optimization problem, lead to its computational efficiency. It has also been shown that the existing model predictive static programming (MPSP), which is based on the discrete time framework, is a special case of G-MPSP. The G-MPSP technique is further extended to incorporate ‘input inequality constraints’ in a limited sense using the penalty function philosophy. Next, this technique has been developed also further in a ‘flexible final time’ framework to converge rapidly to meet very stringent final conditions with limited number of iterations. Using the G-MPSP technique in a flexible final time and input inequality constrained formulation, a suboptimal guidance law for a solid motor propelled carrier launch vehicle is successfully designed for a hypersonic mission. This guidance law assures very stringent final conditions at the injection point at the end of the guidance phase for successful beginning of the hypersonic vehicle operation. It also ensures that the angle of attack and structural load bounds are not violated throughout the trajectory. A second-order autopilot has been incorporated in the simulation studies to mimic the effect of the inner-loops on the guidance performance. Simulation studies with perturbations in the thrust-time behaviour, drag coefficient and mass demonstrate that the proposed guidance can meet the stringent requirements of the hypersonic mission. The G-MPSP technique in a fixed final time and input inequality constrained formulation has also been used for optimal guidance of an aerospace vehicle propelled by supersonic air-breathing engine, where the resulting thrust can be manipulated by managing the fuel flow and nozzle area (which is not possible in solid motors). However, operation of supersonic air-breathing engines is quite complex as the thrust produced by the engine is a result of very complex nonlinear combustion dynamics inside the engine. Hence, to generate the desired thrust, accounting for a fairly detailed engine model, a dynamic inversion based nonlinear state feedback control design has been carried out. The objective of this controller is to ensure that the engine dynamically produces the thrust that tracks the commanded value of thrust generated from the guidance loop as closely as possible by regulating the fuel flow rate. Simultaneously, by manipulating throat area of the nozzle, it also manages the shock wave location in the intake for maximum pressure recovery with sufficient margin for robustness. To filter out the sensor and process noises and to estimate the states for making the control design operate based on output feedback, an extended Kalman filter (EKF) based state estimation design has also been carried out and the controller has been made to operate based on estimated states. Moreover, independent control designs have also been carried out for the actuators so that their response can be faster. In addition, this control design becomes more challenging to satisfy the imposed practical constraints like fuel-air ratio and peak combustion temperature limits. Simulation results clearly indicate that the proposed design is quite successful in assuring the desired performance of the air-breathing engine throughout the flight trajectory, i.e., both during the climb and cruise phases, while assuring adequate pressure margin for shock wave management.