Heat Shielding Characteristics and Thermostructural Performance of a Superalloy Honeycomb Sandwich Thermal Protection System (TPS)

Ko, William L. (2004) Heat Shielding Characteristics and Thermostructural Performance of a Superalloy Honeycomb Sandwich Thermal Protection System (TPS). Technical Report NASA/TP-2004-212024, Research Engineering, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.

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Abstract

Heat-transfer, thermal bending, and mechanical buckling analyses have been performed on a superalloy “honeycomb” thermal protection system (TPS) for future hypersonic flight vehicles. The studies focus on the effect of honeycomb cell geometry on the TPS heat-shielding performance, honeycomb cell wall buckling characteristics, and the effect of boundary conditions on the TPS thermal bending behavior. The results of the study show that the heat-shielding performance of a TPS panel is very sensitive to change in honeycomb core depth, but insensitive to change in honeycomb cell cross-sectional shape. The thermal deformations and thermal stresses in the TPS panel are found to be very sensitive to the edge support conditions. Slight corrugation of the honeycomb cell walls can greatly increase their buckling strength.

EPrint Type:	NASA Technical Publication
Keywords:	Heat shielding performance, Heat transfer, Honeycomb sandwich panels, Thermal buckling, Thermal protection system
Subjects:	(31 - 39) Engineering: (39) Structural Mechanics
ID Code:	381
Deposited On:	03 Febuary 2005
Additional Information:	46 pages.