Dry weights for a SSTO vehicle which incorporates nontangent, developed contour bulkheads are estimated and compared to a baseline vehicle with 1.41 4 aspect ratio ellipsoidal bulkheads, Weights, volumes and heights of optimized bulkhead designs are computed using a preliminary design bulkhead analysis code. The dry weight of a vehicle which incorporates the optimized bulkheads is predicted using a vehicle weights and sizing code. Two optimization approaches are employed. A structural-level method, where the vehicle s three major bulkhead regions are optimized separately and then incorporated into a model for computation of the vehicle dry weight, predicts a reduction of 4365 Ib (2.2 percent) from the 200,679 Ib baseline vehicle dry weight. In the second, vehicle-level, approach, the vehicle dry weight is the objective function for the optimization. During the vehicle- level analysis, modified bulkhead designs are first analyzed, then incorporated into the weights model for computation of a dry weight. The optimizer simultaneously manipulates design variables for all three bulkheads to reduce the dry weight. The vehicle-level analysis predicts a dry weight reduction of 5129 Ib, a 2.6 percent reduction from the baseline value. These results suggest that nontangent, developed contour bulkheads may provide substantial weight savings for SSTO vehicles.


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    Title :

    Nontangent, Developed Contour Bulkheads for a Wing-Body Single Stage Launch Vehicle


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    37th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit ; 1999 ; Reno, NV, United States


    Publication date :

    1999-01-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





    Nontangent, Developed Contour Bulkheads for a Wing-Body Single Stage Launch Vehicle

    Wu, K. C. / Lepsch, R. A. / American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1999


    Nontangent, Developed Contour Bulkheads for a Single Stage Launch Vehicle

    K Chauncey Wu / Roger A Lepsch, Jr. | NTRS | 2012