Fast-running simulation framework for Hypersonic C/C Structures and flight performance analysis

The Navy and other DoD components rely heavily on carbon-carbon (C/C) composites for a range of high temperature environments such as thermal protection systems (TPS), flight bodies, and other hypersonic applications. While some 2-D and 3-D C/C composite architectures are well understood, very little is known about how constituent material and processing methods affect bulk material properties. To improve performance and reduce cost associated with the ōbuild and seeö approach to developing new composites for hypersonic applications, the Navy has identified the need to further mature software tools for hypersonic flight performance analysis as well as to capture how changes in C/C composite material fabrication and processing impacts the flight performance. In this project, CFD Research is teaming with Battelle and Kratos SRE to develop and validate a framework for conducting fast-running hypersonic vehicle TPS thermo-mechanical flight performance simulations that will be integrated with existing software for modeling C/C composite material processing and bulk-material property information. CFD ResearchÆs ATAC2 software will be used as the platform for conducting the flight performance simulations with thermo-structural response surrogate information provided using data generated from BattelleÆs Ashes software. The Ashes program will also be used to provide detailed C/C composite material modeling and simulation of the processing of these composites to determine the bulk properties. Finally, Kratos SRE will assist in developing and executing a validation test campaign for the thermo-structural response model under hypersonic conditions.