Seam Joining Techniques for Three-Dimensional Woven Carbon Naterial of at Least 1" Thickness.

Heat shield technology is a critical component for both re-entry and hypersonic vehicles. The traditional manufacturing approach for designing heat shields consists of joining TPS tiles together with an adhesive that fills any gaps between them. This approach has significant challenges, including the reduction in thermal-mechanical performance as compared to that of acreage woven material. Nhung's Notions proposes to address this problem by modifying existing equipment to mechanically join these materials prior to infusion. In Phase I, we will determine the material and pattern parameters required to use with equipment to prepare the joins while minimizing damage to the pristine woven material while maintaining consistent thickness between pre- and post- joined material keeping pattern consistency throughout the process.