Extreme Temperature Stitched Structures

The innovation proposed here is the development of an integrally stiffened stitched composite structure that is capable of operating within extreme thermal environments similar to those encountered by atmospheric reentry vehicles. Such temperature extremes and challenging structural weight goals will necessitate the use of advanced composite material systems that can also be assimilated into structurally efficient hot structure architectures that are damage tolerant, lightweight, and reasonably affordable to manufacture. While such goals have been achieved within subsonic design regimes using the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS), the lack of elevated temperature capable materials has precluded its application at higher temperatures. Recognizing the potential that this novel structural design approach might hold at higher temperatures, coupled with the recent advances made in carbon fiber sewing threads, further experimentation is warranted to determine whether the advantages demonstrated using integral stitched structures could also be extended to high speed airframe applications.