Abstract
Conclusion A simple guidance law for operation of dual-fuel SSTO launch vehicles has been developed and used to determine the optimal value of the transition Mach number from dual fuel to single fuel. For the example considered, the optimal transition Mach number was 9.0 along a fixed trajectory. Along an optimal trajectory, the best transition Mach number was 9.6; the optimal trajectory had higher dynamic pressure than the fixed, particularly in dual-fuel mode. In the future, the guidance method described in this Note easily could be extended to optimize other propulsion system parameters, such as flow rates of individual propellants in multipropellant engines. Because the guidance algorithm is internal to the trajectory optimization routine, its use will save many iterations of a preliminary design computer code relative to treating these parameters as external design variables. The guidance law is highly accurate, robust, and simple to implement, also making it ideal for use in a real-time onboard control system for an SSTO launch vehicles.
Published Version
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