In this program, the technical feasibility of a new thermal protection system (TPS) design for hypersonic airframes will be established. The design will draw from the strengths of many advanced aerospace materials, placing each material into a narrow role it is best suited to fill. An innovative design approach will be introduced that combines an early emphasis on thermal management, a novel materials system, and a novel leading-edge internal configuration. The novel materials system we propose is enabled by a recent TMMT advance in the synthesis of metal/carbon composite materials with unique thermal properties. The novel structural configuration we propose combines radiant and active cooling mechanisms in a manner that allows the surrounding advanced composite structures to spend a longer portion of the flight cycle within the temperature range where their oxidation protection system functions most effectively. The proposed design solution innovatively reconfigures the existing materials set into a system that better integrates thermal, structural, and aerodynamic requirements.
Benefits: Thermal protection systems currently pose one of the greatest challenges to the advancement of hypersonic flight technology. The TPS design solution offered enhances the thermal capability of a new generation of reusable launch vehicles such as those under development in the National Aerospace Initiative, but also contributes to the broader advancement of aviation technology.
Keywords: thermal protection system, hypersonic flight, aerothermal heating, TPS, high-temperature materials, thermal management, NAI, RLV
