Patent ID: 7431242

Claim:
A nose cone structure for a body entering an atmosphere, that provides enhanced aerodynamic and aerothermal performance, the structure comprising: a convex shell having a longitudinally oriented x-axis and having a non-symmetric transverse cross sectional shape, when projected onto a plane parallel to an xz-plane of an (x,y,z)) Cartesian coordinate, the shell comprising a fore-body and an aft-body joined to the fore-body, the aft-body having a projection on a yz-plane comprising: first and second linear segments, spaced apart from each other at a first end of each segment by a selected distance of substantially 2R m and located on opposite sides of the x-axis, with each of the first and second segments being oriented substantially at a selected non-zero angle θ c relative to the x-axis and having a second segment end having a separation distance of substantially R M from the x-axis; a third linear segment, oriented substantially perpendicular to the x-axis adjacent to the second end of each of the first and second linear segments; first and second curvilinear segments, tangent to and joining the first and third linear segments, and tangent to and joining the second and third linear segments, respectively; and a third curvilinear segment, having first and second ends, positioned tangent at the first end of the third curvilinear segment to the second end of the first linear segment; a fourth curvilinear segment, having first and second ends, positioned tangent at the first end of the fourth curvilinear segment to the second end of the second linear segment; and the fore-body having a projection on the yz-plane comprising: a fifth curvilinear segment, having first and second ends, positioned tangent to a second end of the first linear segment at a fifth curvilinear segment first end; a sixth curvilinear segment, having first and second ends, positioned tangent to a second end of the second linear segment at a sixth curvilinear segment first end; and a fourth linear segment, having first and second ends, positioned tangent to the fifth curvilinear segment and tangent to the sixth curvilinear segment at the respective first and second ends of the fourth linear segment.