An Armadillo‐Like Flexible Thermal Protection System for Inflatable Decelerators: A Novel Paradigm. Issue 3 (17th September 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Natali, Maurizio; Rallini, Marco; Puglia, Debora; Kenny, Josè; Torre, Luigi
• Is Part Of: Macromolecular materials and engineering. Volume 299:Issue 3(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 379
• Page End: 390
• Publication Date: 2013-09-17
• Subjects: Plastics -- Periodicals; Polymers -- Periodicals; Polymerization -- Periodicals; 547.705
• DOI: 10.1002/mame.201300267
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1438-7492

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="mame201300267-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <p>Polymeric ablative materials play a strategic role in the whole aerospace industry: they are used to produce the thermal protection system (TPS), which protects vehicles during the hypersonic flight through a planetary atmosphere. To date, TPSs are typically designed as rigid monolithic heat shields. Inflatable deployable aeroshells (IDAs) offer an alternative to rigid TPSs: IDAs are based on the use of flexible TPSs (FTPSs). State of the art FTPSs can handle heat fluxes up to approximately 20 W cm⁻². However, next generation FTPSs for IADs should be able to survive heat fluxes up to 150 W cm⁻². To satisfy these stringent requirements, we propose a radically brand‐new paradigm of flexible TPS based on the use of state of the art elastomeric ablatives (EPDM/Aramid) employed to produce the insulation liners for solid rocket motors. This class of ablatives is able to survive heat fluxes in the range of (300–1000) W cm⁻². Most important, we envisioned to introduce an "Armadillo‐Like" design in which a series of overlapping sacrificial movable tiles could work as a continuous flexible thermal barrier.<inline-graphic xlink:href="ark:/27927/pgg4svkkwq9" content-type="mame201300267-gra-0001" xlink:type="simple" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" /></p> </sec> </abstract>