Minimum-Fuel Earth-Based Orbit Transfers Using Multiple-Domain Adaptive Radau Collocation

TL;DR

This paper presents a numerical optimization approach for minimum-fuel Earth orbit transfers, determining optimal thrusting structures without prior assumptions, and demonstrating improved results over previous methods.

Contribution

It introduces a combined bang-bang and singular optimal control method with multiple-domain collocation to optimize orbital transfers without assuming thrusting structure beforehand.

Findings

Optimal thrusting structures are identified as part of the solution.

Total impulse decreases with lower maximum thrust acceleration.

Results outperform previous studies in fuel efficiency and insight into thrusting strategies.

Abstract

A numerical optimization study of minimum-fuel Earth-based orbital transfers from low-Earth orbit (LEO) to either medium-Earth orbit (MEO), high-Earth orbit (HEO), or geostationary orbit (GEO), is performed. Various values of maximum allowable thrust acceleration are considered for each type of transfer (LEO-to-MEO, LEO-to-HEO, or LEO-to-GEO). A key aspect of the study performed in this paper is that the optimal thrusting structure is not assumed to be known a priori, but is determined as part of the solution process. In order to determine the optimal thrusting structure, a recently developed bang-bang and singular optimal control (BBSOC) method is employed together with multiple-domain Legendre-Gauss-Radau quadrature collocation. Key results obtained in this study include not only the number of switches in the optimized thrust, but also the total impulse. Furthermore, it is found that, as the maximum allowable thrust acceleration decreases, the total impulse is less than the total impulse obtained from a previous study where a burn-coast-burn thrusting structure was assumed a priori. For each type of transfer a particular value of maximum allowable thrust acceleration is chosen to highlight in more detail the key features of the optimal solutions. This study provides improved results over previous studies and provides improved insight into the optimal thrusting structure required in order to accomplish each type of orbital transfer using the least amount of fuel.