A tank and intertank sizing tool that includes effects of major design drivers, and which allows parametric studies to be performed, has been developed and calibrated against independent repzresentative results. Although additional design features, such as bulkheads and field joints, are not currently included in the process, the improved level of fidelity has allowed parametric studies to be p...

In the last few years, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) sponsored several research projects on a Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) whose design, operation, and logistics requirements are intended to be much simpler than for the Space Shuttle. As part of these efforts, the previous researchers developed a discrete-event simulation model, called Maintenance, Integration, and Launch Pad Operat...

Launch vehicle structures, such as payload adapters and interstages, are increasingly designed constructed using composite materials due to their high stiffness- strength-to-weight ratios. Therefore, it is important develop a validated finite element modeling methodology for designing analyzing launch-vehicle shell structures. This can be achieved, in part, by correlating high-fidelity numerica...

applications using vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications at a carrier frequency of 5.9 GHz to increase road traffic safety and road traffic efficiency in Europe (a.k.a. connected vehicle technology in the US). This article will shed some light on the current status of C-ITS in Europe and what is left before deployment can commence in 2019 as announced by C2C-CC. Even t...

A study is performed to ascertain the validity of the use of inviscid and viscous simulation methods to predict the axial and normal forces during a launch abort scenario for manned space flight vehicles. The proximity drag character of the Apollo launch escape vehicle (LEV) was studied in detail in a wind tunnel during the Apollo program. Simulation results obtained during the present effort a...

This paper reports the results of the second phase of a research project to characterize and optimize the design of an advanced launch vehicle for human access to low earth orbit. The vehicle makes use of rocket-based combined-cycle (RBCC) propulsion — a concept combining operating modes of an ejector, ramjet, scramjet, and rocket in a single engine. This research builds on previous work focuse...

1 0-7803-6599-2/01/$10.00 © 2001 IEEE 2 Updated October 21, 2000 Abstract—An inverting control system adaptive to failures was recently flight demonstrated on the X-36 unmanned tailless fighter technology demonstrator. This technology has since been applied in simulation to study the potential to improve the performance and reliability of fully reusable launch vehicles. A new technique known as...

In this paper we deal with the aero-heating analysis of a reentry flight demonstrator helpful to the research activities for the design and development of a possible winged Reusable Launch Vehicle. In fact, to reduce risks in the development of next generation reusable launch vehicles, as first step it is suitable to gain deep design knowledge by means of extensive numerical computations, in pa...

in this study, stability control of a three-wheeled vehicle with two wheels on the front axle, a three-wheeled vehicle with two wheels on the rear axle, and a standard four-wheeled vehicle are compared. for vehicle dynamics control systems, the direct yaw moment control is considered as a suitable way of controlling the lateral motion of a vehicle during a severe driving maneuver. in accordance...