Design Optimization and Parameter Analysis of a Hybrid Rocket Motor-Powered Small LEO Launch Vehicle

Abstract

In this paper, the effects of different grain shapes of a hybrid rocket motor (HRM) and different payload mass/orbit heights on the design of small launch vehicles (SLVs) are systematically discussed. An integrated overall design model for the hybrid rocket motor-powered small launch vehicle (HPSLV) is established, and two groups of three-stage SLVs capable of sending small payloads to the low earth orbit (LEO) are designed and optimized. In the first group, the SLVs with different grain shapes and different numbers of chambers in HRMs at the 1st and the 2nd stages are optimized and analyzed. In the second group, the SLVs capable of sending different payload mass to different orbit heights are optimized and analyzed. Pareto graphs of the design results show that the design of HRM at the 1st stage has the greatest impact on the take-off mass, total velocity increment, and maximum axial overload of the SLV. Self-organizing maps show that the take-off mass, maximum diameter, overall length, and velocity increment of the SLVs have the same variation tendency. For the 1-chamber HRM at the 1st stage, the wheel-shaped grain is better than circle-shaped and star-shaped grains in terms of reducing the total mass and length of the SLV, and the 4-chamber parallel HRM has more advantages over all 1-chamber designs for the same reason. The theoretical velocity increments are calculated by the Tsiolkovsky formula, and the actual velocity increments are obtained based on the trajectory simulation data. The results indicate that the HPSLV has a regular distribution in terms of the ratio of theoretical (actual) velocity increments at three different stages, and the estimated distribution ratio is around 1 : 1.55 : 1.69 (1 : 1.9 : 2.39), which can provide some reference for future development of HPSLV.