| This paper represents designing an Aeroshell for a scaled version of a reusable DC-X type vehicle. Dubbed the DC-XB, this vehicle is intended to take off vertically and land with a parachute system on 4 deployable landing gears. The goal is to optimize an Aeroshell structure whose critical elements approaches to proper failure index. The Aeroshell is made of graphite-epoxy composite material in a sandwich configuration. And the Aeroshell is to be designed for minimum cost using the capabilities. Based on those design criteria as well as the suggestion to use the DC-XA mold line as a starting point, a cylindrically shaped Aeroshell was chosen for this design. This design analysis consists of structural analysis based on the loading and recovery requirements, mass properties analysis and finite element analysis of the Aeroshell. From these structural response, and load cases on the most critical section, the structural optimization is performed by selecting the most appropriate lay-ups of Graphite/Epoxy composite. |
