Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Aerospace Systems Engineering
Committee Chair
Gang Wang
Committee Member
Robert Frederick
Research Advisor
L. Dale Thomas
Subject(s)
Liquid propellant rocket engines--Design and construction, Liquid propellant rocket engines--Reliability
Abstract
This thesis introduces a reliability-based design methodology aimed at mitigating costs incurred during the Test-Fail-Fix cycle for Liquid Rocket Engines (LREs) by addressing the limitations of the standard Factor of Safety (FoS) approach. By integrating a neural network informed by a structural model into a Bayesian framework for uncertainty quantification, the methodology enables the characterization of structural margin and early analysis of failure risks in the design lifecycle. A generalized 3D component geometry is subjected to typical LRE loading environments within Finite Element Analysis software to gather data for stress and strength distributions. These distributions serve as a foundation for assessing the design's adequacy and facilitating informed decision-making. The results highlight improvements in reliability, leading to an effective mitigation technique for the Fail-Fix portion of the Test-Fail-Fix cycle. This research emphasizes the importance of adopting probabilistic approaches in design, ensuring alignment with reliability or mass-saving requirements while reducing overall costs.
Recommended Citation
Tudor, Mason, "Optimizing reliability and design efficiency of liquid rocket engines : a structural margin approach for the early design lifecycle" (2025). Theses. 802.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/802