Static Aeroelastic Analysis and Study of Control Effectiveness of a Typical Reusable Launch Vehicle

Launch vehicles are vulnerable to aeroelastic effects due to their lightweight, flexible, and higher aerodynamic loads. Aero elasticity research has therefore become an inevitable concern in the development of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). RLV is a unanimous solution to achieve more affordable access to space. The lightweight control surface of the RLV signifies the relevance of the study on static aeroelastic effects on the control surfaces. Control effectiveness is the capability of a control surface to produce aerodynamic forces and moments to maneuver the vehicle along the intended path. The static aeroelastic problem determines the efficiency of control, aircraft trim behavior, static stability, and maneuvering quality in steady flight conditions. In this paper, static aeroelastic analysis was performed on a typical RLV using MSC/NASTRAN inbuilt aerodynamics. This study is performed using a finite-element structural model (MSC/NASTRAN, MSC/PATRAN) coupled to an aerodynamic model (Doublet Lattice Method) based on Panel method, along the descent phase trajectory of the launch vehicle. The main aim of this analysis is to quantify the control effectiveness of the typical RLV. This paper also focuses on the parametric study of the control effectiveness of the elevon for diverse parameters, including altitudes, density, dynamic pressure, and Mach numbers.