Research on parafoil optimal flight path planning algorithm for precise recovery of sub-stage booster of rocket

Abstract

Parafoil is an important novel method to realize the precise recovery of sub-stage booster of rocket. In this paper, a parafoil optimal path planning algorithm based on longicorn algorithm is proposed to solve the problems that the parafoil is easily affected by wind field and the error of landing point is large in the recovery of sub-stage booster of rocket. Firstly, according to the dynamics and kinematics equations of the parafoil and a rocket sub-stage combined system, a 6-degree-of-freedom model of the system was established to analyze the effects of different downward deviation on the forward velocity, vertical velocity and the trajectory planning of the parafoil during the homing process of the rocket sub-stage. On this basis, the number of circling turns, radius and azimuth of the cutting-high section of the combination of the parafoil and the sub-stage booster were taken as the optimal parameters, and the optimal path planning was carried out by using the longicorn algorithm. Finally, a homing path with comprehensive consideration of energy and the accuracy of the landing point was obtained. The simulation results show that the piecewise optimal flight path planning algorithm based on longicorn algorithm proposed in this paper has fast convergence speed and high precision of flight track landing point.

Keywords

• track planning
• parafoil
• first-stage booster of rocket
• longicorn algorithm