A Coupling Analysis Approach to Capture Unexpected Behaviors in Ares 1

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2017-01-01
Authors
Kis, David
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Christina Bloebaum
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Aerospace Engineering

The Department of Aerospace Engineering seeks to instruct the design, analysis, testing, and operation of vehicles which operate in air, water, or space, including studies of aerodynamics, structure mechanics, propulsion, and the like.

History
The Department of Aerospace Engineering was organized as the Department of Aeronautical Engineering in 1942. Its name was changed to the Department of Aerospace Engineering in 1961. In 1990, the department absorbed the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and became the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. In 2003 the name was changed back to the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

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1942-present

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  • Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics (1990-2003)

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Aerospace Engineering
Abstract

Coupling of physics in large-scale complex engineering systems must be correctly accounted for during the systems engineering process. Preliminary corrections ensure no unanticipated behaviors arise during operation. Structural vibration of large segmented solid rocket motors, known as thrust oscillation, is a well-documented problem that can effect solid rocket motors in adverse ways. Within the Ares 1 rocket, unexpected vibrations deemed potentially harmful to future crew were recorded during late stage flight that propagated from the engine chamber to the Orion crew module. This research proposes the use of a coupling strength analysis during the design and development phase to identify potential unanticipated behaviors such as thrust oscillation. Once these behaviors and couplings are identified then a value function, based on research in Value Driven Design, is proposed to evaluate mitigation strategies and their impact on system value. The results from this study showcase a strong coupling interaction from structural displacement back onto the fluid flow of the Ares 1 that was previously deemed inconsequential. These findings show that the use of a coupling strength analysis can aid engineers and managers in identifying unanticipated behaviors and then rank order their importance based on the impact they have on value.

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Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2017