Optimization of Waverider-Derived Crew Reentry Vehicles Using a Rapid Aerodynamics Analysis Approach

A unique implementation of commonly used engineering methods for estimating supersonic and hypersonic aerodynamics of arbitrary shapes is discussed. A validation case comparing the aerodynamic coefficients generated by this technique with both wind tunnel and published computational results for the NASA HL-20 configuration from Mach 1.2 to Mach 10 is presented. These results indicate that the method can generate aerodynamic databases where the lift and drag coefficients are within 15% of experimental data in minutes on a typical workstation. Therefore, the benefits of this rapid aerodynamic analysis approach are further investigated by integrating it into a multidisciplinary design optimization framework for waverider-derived crew reentry vehicles. A shape design code, mass estimating model, and trajectory/aeroheating analysis are linked using a genetic algorithm optimization process to generate a pareto front comparing vehicle downrange versus landed mass. The results of this analysis indicate that a higher lift-to-drag ratio ( L/D ) typically results in a longer range, but also correlates with a larger vehicle mass. Finally, a comparison with the HL-20 is performed to highlight how the waverider-derived design approach can produce configurations exhibiting a 20% increase in maximum L/D with only a 4% increase in vehicle length.