Reachability Analysis of a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle using Particle Swarm Optimization

The performance optimization of a hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, defined here by its reachability, is studied using various aerothermodynamic models. The entry vehicle is modeled as a high-lift common aero vehicle that uses bank-angle modulation for crossrange maneuvering with a leading edge thermal protection system made of an ultra-high-temperature ceramic. A constrained non-linear optimization problem is formulated to sweep out the range of feasible trajectories that satisfy aerodynamic heating and loading constraints. The optimal control profile is determined using a modified particle swarm optimization routine that employs a penalty function approach to handle path and terminal constraints. Baseline trajectories are determined using an existing convective heat-flux correlation, and the effect of wall catalycity on the optimized trajectories is investigated by applying a correction factor, derived from high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations, to the heat-flux correlation. Results demonstrate a high sensitivity of the optimized trajectories to the underlying aerothermodynamics model such that accounting for wall catalycity improves the performance by up to two orders of magnitude.