Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Aerospace Engineering

Major Professor

Roy J. Schulz

Committee Members

Ching F. Lo, Gary Flandro

Abstract

Solid rocket motor (SRM) design prototypes can be rapidly formulated and evaluated by the use of advanced computer-based methodologies that apply expert system and artificial intelligence software to the SRM design optimization processes. The research program that was carried out, and is reported in this thesis, was to formulate a computer-based SRM expert system for motor design and optimization, with the assistance of a hypertext software algorithm that provides a user-friendly interface. With this interface for parameter input, the design engineer can quickly obtain rocket motor designs that satisfy the perfomance mission of the SRM, as well as meet criteria for optimized (minimum) motor mass. The computer-based software has been designated as the Solid Rocket Motor Conceptual Design Optimization System (SRM-CDOS). SRM-CDOS is a computerized tool to facilitate and define tradeoffs between various aspects of the SRM design and optimization requirements. The main purpose of this SRM design system is to aide the SRM design engineer in making the best initial design selections and thereby reducing the overall "design cycle time" of a project. SRM-CDOS combines a user-interfacing hypertext control shell, a fortran optimization code, and an expert system artificial intelligence database to speed up the design process and maintain a user-friendly computing environment. The utilization of the unique combination these three computer methodologies has been demonstrated with additional recommendations for future applications.

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