Carbon Foam as a High Temperature Structural Material for Propulsion Products

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project addresses the topic of Ballistic Missile Systems Innovative Propulsion Products, MDA03-055. The use of carbon foam as a liner and/or nozzle material with desirable structural and thermal conductivityproperties will be investigated. CFOAMr has the potential to be a revolutionary material in liner and nozzle structures, significantly reducing costs and weight while improving compressive strength at high operating temperatures. This study will addressthree focus areas: design, manufacturing, and mechanical/thermal performance. A design analysis will be completed to evaluate a nozzle based on carbon foam as the primary structural material. Manufacturing techniques of current designs will be analyzedto show a reduction in cost through simplified nozzle construction and bonding of lining/coating. Finally, thermal performance based on retention of compressive strength at high temperature and control and modification of thermal conductivity will beevaluated. The Phase I effort will create a composite design for the nozzle to be evaluated through laboratory scale mechanical and thermal testing as well as simulation conducted by Touchstone Research Laboratory and its partners. Phase II work willdemonstrate the feasibility and scale-up of this technology and will address future technological hurdles. The proposed technology would have applicability to commercial space platforms, thermal protection systems, control surfaces, automobile components, high temperature environment systems such as recuperators in melt furnaces, jet APU ring motors, etc.