SBIR-STTR Award

Launch vehicle subsystem preliminary design tools that are fast, accurate, and seamlessly integrated into an electronic design and optimization environment have become an essential part of the preliminary design process. A Phase I study is proposed to significantly enhance the capabilities of the existing Aerospike Design and Performance Tool (ADAPT) computer code for use in the design and analysis of launch vehicle concepts employing altitude-compensating nozzles. Proposed Phase I enhancements include: 1) provisions to enable the analysis of user defined nozzle geometry, 2) consideration of base pressure with and without base bleed in the performance calculations, 3) methods to accommodate user defined combustion devise and nozzle efficiencies, and 4) methods to estimate potential side (control) forces resulting from asymmetric throttling of individual thrusters on an aerospike, plug, or plug-cluster engine. The proposed Phase I enhancements fit within a broader and more comprehensive Phase I-II plan. Future (Phase II) enhancements will include: 1) extension of the design and analysis methodology to other altitude compensating nozzle types, 2) modification of ADAPT allowing it to be used as an analysis module within a broader multidisciplinary optimization (MDO) framework, and 3) a web-based user interface.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications:
(LIMIT 150 WORDS) The enhanced ADAPT computer code will provide NASA with an innovative preliminary design tool to assess the technical viability of next generation launch vehicles. When integrated into NASA?s multi-disciplinary analysis and optimization process, ADAPT will significantly improve NASA?s ability to quickly and accurately perform integrated analyses and evaluation of preliminary launch vehicle concepts employing altitude-compensating nozzles.

Potential NON-NASA Commercial Applications:
(LIMIT 150 WORDS) The enhanced ADAPT computer code is a significant addition to existing MDO techniques and tools currently available in the public domain. Computer models such as POST, OTIS, OPGUID are used extensively in launch vehicle preliminary design studies. In addition, large aerospace companies typically possess proprietary tools that perform essentially similar analyses. ADAPT will be integrated as an analysis module that can be embedded into a launch vehicle MDO simulation and driven by a numerical optimizer. It will be used by non-NASA engineers in the evaluation of preliminary vehicle concepts employing altitude-compensating nozzles.