Integrated aero-vibroacoustics: The design verification process of Vega-C launcher

The verification of a space launcher at the design level is a complex issue because of (i) the lack of a detailed modeling capability of the acoustic pressure produced by the rocket; and (ii) the difficulties in applying deterministic methods to the large-scale metallic structures. In this paper, an innovative integrated design verification process is described, based on the bridging between a new semiempirical jet noise model and a hybrid finite-element method/statistical energy analysis (FEM/SEA) approach for calculating the acceleration produced at the payload and equipment level within the structure, vibrating under the external acoustic forcing field. The result is a verification method allowing for accurate prediction of the vibroacoustics in the launcher interior, using limited computational resources and without resorting to computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data. Some examples concerning the Vega-C launcher design are shown.