LIGHTWEIGHT HYBRID ABLATOR INCORPORATING AEROGEL-FILLED OPEN-CELL FOAM STRUCTURAL INSULATOR IN PREVIOUS WOR…

Public award description

LIGHTWEIGHT HYBRID ABLATOR INCORPORATING AEROGEL-FILLED OPEN-CELL FOAM STRUCTURAL INSULATOR IN PREVIOUS WORK FOR NASA AND DOD, ULTRAMET DEVELOPED LIGHTWEIGHT OPEN-CELL FOAM INSULATORS COMPOSED OF A CARBON OR CERAMIC STRUCTURAL FOAM SKELETON FILLED WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE NANOSCALE AEROGEL INSULATOR. THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND HIGH INSULATION BEHAVIOR HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED WHEN USED IN COMBINATION WITH A NON-ABLATING, COATED CARBON/CARBON OR CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE OUTER SHELL. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS TO DEVELOP A HYBRID ABLATOR/INSULATOR THERMAL PROTECTION SYSTEM IN WHICH A PORTION OF THE THICKNESS OF A LOW CONDUCTIVITY, STRUCTURAL FOAM AEROSHELL IS INFILTRATED WITH AN ABLATIVE MATERIAL (FRONTFACE) AND THE REMAINING THICKNESS IS FILLED WITH THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AEROGEL INSULATOR (BACKFACE). THE POTENTIAL BENEFIT IS A REDUCTION IN ABLATOR MASS REQUIRED TO REJECT THE AEROTHERMAL HEAT LOAD. THE VEHICLE INTERFACE TEMPERATURE WILL BE CONTROLLED BY THE AEROGEL-FILLED PORTION OF THE FOAM STRUCTURE, RATHER THAN BY ABLATOR THICKNESS, THEREBY ALLOWING THE USE OF LESS ABLATOR MATERIAL. THE REDUCED VOLUME NEEDED WILL ALLOW USE OF A CONVENTIONAL HIGH DENSITY, HIGH HEAT FLUX CAPABILITY ABLATOR, OFFERING GREATER MISSION FLEXIBILITY. IN THIS PROJECT, ULTRAMET WILL TEAM WITH MATERIALS RESEARCH & DESIGN FOR PRELIMINARY THERMOMECHANICAL DESIGN WORK AND WILL CONSTRUCT A CERAMIC FOAM-REINFORCED HYBRID ABLATOR/INSULATOR. PRELIMINARY PERFORMANCE WILL BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH HOT-GAS TESTING.