Attachment of Additively Manufactured RF Windows for Hypersonics

Current materials which are available to designers of hypersonic seeker windows are often difficult to manufacture and made in small quantities at significant cost due to the demanding conditions encountered by these materials during hypersonic flight. High temperatures, aerodynamic pressures, and dynamic loading due to maneuvering of hypersonic vehicles produce an extreme thermomechanical environment for window materials. As a novel solution to significantly cut down on the time and cost needed to manufacture hypersonic seeker windows, Materials Research & Design, Inc. (MR&D) is proposing a combined analytical and experimental program with North Carolina State University (NC State) to develop and demonstrate a polymer derived ceramic (PDC) with additives for a hypersonic seeker window application. The resulting ceramic will be near net-shape eliminating the need for extensive machining. MR&D will perform finite element simulations to design a CMC joint that can attach the window to a C-C aeroshell while accomodating the thermal gradients and differences in thermal expansion. In the Phase I effort, MR&D intends to design, analyze, and produce several candidate seeker window materials which will be characterized by electronic and mechanical tests to prove the performance metrics can be met or exceeded. If successful, this highly flexible process for producing seeker window materials can be matured and optimized to meet the ever-increasing demands of future hypersonic vehicle systems. Approved for Public Release | 22-MDA-11339 (13 Dec 22)