Toolset for Prediction of Carbon-Carbon Properties Based on Constituent Materials and Manufacturing Process Parameters

Carbon-carbon (C-C) composites are used in the fabrication of aeroshells and thermal protection systems (TPS) in hypersonic and atmospheric reentry applications because they maintain their strength at elevated temperatures and have desirable thermal conductivity properties. Although these materials have been used in mission-critical components for decades, the effects of variations in processing methods on overall performance of the composite are not fully understood, and it is currently not possible to predict the final physical and mechanical properties of C-C components from knowledge of the composite constituents and manufacturing methods. To overcome these limitations, ATA Engineering, Inc., (ATA) proposes to develop a software framework to predict the response of C-C composites from manufacturing and processing parameters. The toolset will use informatics technology to define relationships between precursor composite materials and processing parameters and resulting physical and mechanical properties. The toolset will include a framework to link simulations that account for molecular interactions occurring during processing to simulations at increasingly larger length scales to ultimately predict composite properties. In Phase I, ATA will develop and test the toolset and perform preliminary validation using existing test data. In Phase II, ATA will refine the analysis toolset and execute a verification and validation program.