Extreme Temperature Structures

An effort has been outlined in which C-CAT will utilize its expertise and capabilities in fabricating large, complex C/C assemblies to produce hardware relevant to the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) design of the US Navy’s CPS and US Army’s LRHW weapon systems. The goal of the effort will be to leverage C-CAT’s production-ready carbon-carbon (C/C) material systems (MRL and TRL of 8-9) and demonstrate applicability to the thick closed-shape geometries characteristic of the C-HGB design. The manufacturing approach considered would also have significant implications to unit cost and production rates, partially through the reduction in the quantity of 3D C/C billet material, as well as an overall reduction in number of components necessary to produce the thermal protection system (TPS) for the C-HGB design. Additionally, the potential for process optimization and acceleration with a state-of-the-art resin system will be explored.