Graduation Semester and Year
Summer 2026
Language
English
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. Bernd Chudoba
Second Advisor
Dr. Catherine Kilmain
Third Advisor
Dr. Brian Dennis
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Ian Maynard
Abstract
This research promotes the advancement of the Aerospace Vehicle Design Synthesis (AVDS) system through the development of a low order numerical hypersonic aerodynamic analysis methodology. The AVDS methodology outlines how to utilize disciplinary tools and relies on the careful selection or development of those tools to carry out the aerospace vehicle sizing and evaluation processes. An overview of the aerodynamic analysis process from both industrial and academic perspectives is presented to provide context for the present work. The different philosophies of design are discussed insofar as they dictate how aerodynamic tools are used in the design process. Next, a literature survey identifies possible low order methods of hypersonic analysis and reviews the capabilities of several tools (off-the-shelf software packages) to understand how well these methods practically perform. Based on this information, the shock-expansion method is selected for further development into an aerodynamic disciplinary module called AVDSSEM. An in-depth theoretical treatment of the selected methodology is presented to identify key limitations regarding its use for design, since low order tools are not generally universally applicable. The shock-expansion methodology is then developed into a practical tool. Details of the method’s implementation for full-configuration analysis are discussed along with supplemental models used to provide additional data. Finally, a case study using the X-15 configuration is undertaken to validate and assess the method’s performance and relative accuracy. The results indicate that AVDSSEM works well for capturing key aerodynamic performance and stability metrics with reasonable accuracy.
Keywords
Aerodynamics, Hypersonic, Conceptual Design, AVDS, Shock-Expansion
Disciplines
Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Atkins, Stephen, "Development of a Hypersonic Aerodynamic Analysis Methodology for Conceptual Design" (2026). Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses. 6.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/mechaerospace_theses2/6