Flight Mechanics of Hypersonic and High Altitude Vehicles (IIND-01/C, 6 CFU)

Special Master of Aerospace Engineering (Year: 1, Semester: 1)

The course focuses on hypersonic and stratospheric vehicles, theoretical aspects are completed with exercises in Matlab/Simulink and the FPGA implementation and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing of guidance and control laws.

Module 1: Performance of hypersonic vehicles

(1) Review of the equations of motion over a flat and a spherical Earth.

(2) Aerodynamic forces (subsonic, transonic, supersonic and hypersonic regimes).

(3) Quasi-steady gliding and powered level flight, the T-D diagram.

(4) Climbing and ascent, the spaceport equation.

(5) Reentry and aerodynamic heating for (a) ballistic vehicles, (b) gliders and (c) skip vehicles.

Module 2: Guidance and control of hypersonic vehicles

(1) Review of rigid body equations and mathematical models.

(2) Hypersonic stability derivatives: (a) rockets with cruciform empennage, (b) triform rockets and (c) slander flat triangular wings.

(3) Effects of aspect ratio and Mach number on: (a) damping in roll, (b) damping in pitch/yaw, (c) dihedral effect.

(4) Hypersonic control derivatives: (a) planar and cruciform configurations, (b) coupling and nonlinear effects, (c) maneuverability.

(5) Navigation systems: (a) seeker, (b) radar tracking and (c) infrared tracking; English bias.

(6) Guidance techniques: (a) homing, (b) PN, (c) APN and (d) hypersonic periodic cruise.

Module 3: High Altitude Platform Systems performance and control

(1) Drag and power requirements.

(2) Equations of steady-state motion in the vertical plane; ascent trajectory at: (a) fixed flight path angle, (b) fixed pitch angle and (c) zero thrust.

(3) Equations of steady-state motion in the horizontal plane: (a) horizontal circulation, (b) effects of sideslip, (c) nonlinear effects.

(4) Equations of steady-state motion along a helix.

(5) Perturbed motion and stability: (a) longitudinal motion and (b) lateral motion.

Module 4: Paragliders and parachutes

(1) Design of supersonic parachutes for interplanetary re-entry: (a) sizing, (b) inflation time; and (c) stability.

(2) Parafoil dynamics: (a) equations of motion, (b) apparent mass and (c) enclosed mass).

(3) Trajectory tracking.

(4) Notes on FERRI.