Adjoint-based adaptive meshing in a shape trade study for rocket ascent

Abstract

This paper investigates the drag performance of six axisymmetric shroud shapes over the ascent trajectory of the Saturn V launch vehicle. An adjoint-based adaptive meshing algorithm is used to generate Cartesian meshes with refinement in regions of the flow that have a critical influence on drag prediction. In combination with an efficient parallel flow solver, this approach provides accurate predictions of aerodynamic performance at minimal computational cost. A metric known as 'drag loss' is integrated over the flight trajectory to determine the best shroud shape for the application. These methods are shown to be an effective aid to the aerodynamic design of new launch vehicles. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.