Advanced Composite Structural and Thermal Management Materials for EKV Electrical Conversion Unit Components

The Exoatmospheric interceptor Kill Vehicle (EKV) Electrical Conversion Unit (ECU) uses relatively exotic materials such as beryllium to meet the combined weight, stiffness, thermal and electrical requirements. There are few materials like beryllium that combine very high modulus of elasticity, low density, relatively high thermal conductivity, and excellent heat capacity. However, Beryllium has liabilities including an OSHA requirement that limits fabrication of the material to only a few certified facilities, and it is projected that there will be no domestic source of beryllium in the near future. This results in cost and producibility issues for military systems. Vanguard Composites Group, Inc. has evaluated advanced composite materials and manufacturing processes, along with passive thermal management design concepts, to provide integrated composites and thermal management design concepts for EKV ECU components to replace beryllium to reduce cost, improve the producibility, save weight, and improve performance of the EKV ECU components. The Phase I program demonstrated concept feasibility through analytical studies and planned fabrication and test of subscale components. A Phase II program is proposed to develop and demonstrate advanced composite structures and thermal management technology for EKV ECU components by developing detailed design concepts, fabricating full-scale test articles, and demonstrating the performance of the concept in full-scale ground tests representative of ECU components.