Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “thermal protection”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

Development of Metallic Thermal Protection Systems for the Reusable Launch Vehicle

A reusable Thermal Protection System (TPS) that is not only lightweight, but durable, operable and cost effective is one of the technologies required by the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) to achieve the goal of drastically reducing the cost of delivering payload to orbit. Metallic TPS is one of the systems being developed to meet this challenge. Current efforts involve improving the superalloy honeycomb TPS concept, which consists of a foil-gage metallic box encapsulating a low density fibrous insulation, and evaluating it for RLV requirements. The superalloy honeycomb TPS concept is mechanically attached to the vehicle structure. Improvements include more efficient internal insulation, a simpler, lighter weight configuration, and a quick-release fastener system for easier installation and removal. Evaluation includes thermal and structural analysis, fabrication and testing of both coupons and TPS panels under conditions simulating RLV environments. Coupons of metallic honeycomb sandwich, representative of the outer TPS surface, were subjected to low speed impact, hypervelocity impact, and rain erosion testing as well as subsequent arcjet exposure. Arrays of TPS panels have been subjected to radiant heating in a thermal/vacuum facility, aerodynamic heating in an arcjet facility and acoustic loading.

Blosser, Max L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Thermal protection systems for aerobrakes

In summary, advantages of the ablative thermal protection system (TPS) for aerobrakes are: (1) proven reliable TPS systems; (2) well characterized (thermally) with good, existing thermal analysis capability; (3) good candidate materials are available; (4) not sensitive to defects and more difficult to damage then RSI or C-C; (5) design program which demonstrated simple (direct bond) application of large panels; (6) thermal excursions not catastrophic; and (7) no SIP required.

Tompkins, Stephen S.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Performance of a Haynes 188 metallic standoff thermal protection system at Mach 7

A flight weight, metallic thermal protection system (TPS) model applicable to reentry and hypersonic vehicles was subjected to multiple cycles of both radiant and aerothermal heating to evaluate its aerothermal performance and structural integrity. The TPS was designed for a maximum operating temperature of 1255 K and featured a shingled, corrugation stiffened corrugated skin heat shield of Haynes 188, a cobalt base alloy. The model was subjected to 3 radiant preheat/aerothermal tests for a total of 67 seconds and to 15 radiant heating tests for a total of 85.9 minutes at 1255 K. The TPS limited the primary structure to temperatures below 430 K in all tests. No catastrophic failures occurred in the heat shields, supports, or insulation system. The TPS continued to function even after exposure to a differential temperature 4 times the design value produced thermal buckles in the outer skin. The shingled thermal expansion joint effectively allowed for thermal expansion of the heat shield without allowing any appreciable hot gas flow into the model cavity, even though the overlap gap between shields increased after several thermal cycles.

Avery, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS2019

TUFROC Thermal Protection System

Toughened Unipiece Fibrous Reinforced Oxidation-resistant Composite (TUFROC) is a tiled Thermal Protection System (TPS) suitable for reusable entry heating at 2900+ °F and with single use potential up to at least 3600 °F. TUFROC was initially developed for NASA's X-37 project and ultimately resulted in use on the Air Force X-37B as the wing leading edge (WLE) of the vehicle. TUFROC has similar high temperature capability compared with carbon/carbon, but is manufactured at an order of magnitude lower cost & faster schedule.

thermal protection system↗
NASA NTRS2004

Simulation of Foam Impact Effects on Components of the Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System

A series of three dimensional simulations has been performed to investigate analytically the effect of insulating foam impacts on ceramic tile and reinforced carbon-carbon components of the Space Shuttle thermal protection system. The simulations employed a hybrid particle-finite element method and a parallel code developed for use in spacecraft design applications. The conclusions suggested by the numerical study are in general consistent with experiment. The results emphasize the need for additional material testing work on the dynamic mechanical response of thermal protection system materials, and additional impact experiments for use in validating computational models of impact effects.

Fahrenthold, Eric P.↗
NASA NTRS1967

Eutectic fuse provides current and thermal protection under high vibration

Eutectic fuses provide current and thermal protection to an electronic system and maintain this protection under high vibration environments. The fuses are embedded within heat shrinkable sleeving which provides positive closing action under the conditions of high current or temperature.

Ierokomos, N.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Mission load dynamic tests of two undensified Space shuttle thermal protection system tiles

Two tests of undensified Space Shuttle thermal protection tiles under combined static and dynamic loads were conducted. The tiles had a density of approximately 144 Kg/cum (LI900 tiles) and were mounted on a strain isolation pad which was 0.41 cm (.160 inch) thick. A combined static and dynamic mission stress histogram representative of the W-3 area of the wing of the orbiter vehicle was applied. The stress histogram was provided by the space shuttle project. Results presented include: tabulation of measured peak and root-mean-square (RMS) accelerations in both compression and tension; peak SIP stress in compression and tension, peak and RMS amplitude response ratios; lateral to vertical response ratios; response time histories; peak stress distributions (histograms), and SIP extension measured both with and without static tension at various mission times.

Leatherwood, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Aerothermodynamic environment and thermal protection for a Titan aerocapture vehicle

This paper presents thermal protection system (TPS) requirements for a potential Titan aerocapture vehicle. Shock-layer solutions are obtained for a nominal trajectory through the current Titan model atmosphere. Fully laminar and fully turbulent solutions are presented along the blunted fore-cone in the windward symmetry plane of a bent-biconic vehicle. Using these solutions to define the aerothermodynamic environment, transient material-response solutions are obtained for a Galileo-type TPS with a carbon-phenolic ablator heat shield. Shock-layer results indicate that turbulent flow is the more realistic flow condition. They also show that the lengthy aerocapture heating pulse is dominated by convective heating. The TPS results show that the required insulation thickness is uniformly about 4 cm along the fore-cone because of the long heat-soak period. The total heat-shield thickness is 6.4 cm at the stagnation point, and 4.7 cm near the end of the fore-cone. These TPS requirements are greater than those presented in a previous Titan aerocapture study.

Green, M. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Development of acceptance criteria for batches of silane primer for external tank thermal protection system bonding applications

Silane primers for use as thermal protection on external tanks were subjected to various analytic techniques to determine the most effective testing method for silane lot evaluation. The analytic methods included high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, thermogravimetry (TGA), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It is suggested that FTIR be used as the method for silane lot evaluation. Chromatograms, TGA profiles, bar graphs showing IR absorbances, and FTIR spectra are presented.

Mikes, F.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Thermal protection studies of plastic films and fibrous materials

The thermal protection properties of various film and woven materials were studied using an experimental method of radiant heating. The materials studied included aluminized and unaluminized synthetic plastic films and fibrous materials like silicon carbide and phenolic novolac. It is shown that a thin metallized coating with good reflectivity significantly enhances the heat blocking capability of a variety of insulative materials.

Saad, Michel A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Assessing Factors of Safety, Margins of Safety, and Reliability of Thermal Protection Systems

This paper provides formally derived definitions for Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) factors of safety and margins of safety borrowing from machine design approaches. The new factors of safety and margins of safety definitions are quite simple and easy to use, and should provide improved comparison of design safety and margins of past, present and future vehicles, These definitions are then applied to several entry vehicles, including Apollo, the Space Shuttle, the Mars Viking and Pathfinder vehicles, and the Pioneer Venus entry vehicle for example and clarity, and to aid in developing a database of previous TPS design experience. In addition to the factors and margins of safety, definitions of computed reliabilities incorporation the reliability index used in machine design are also developed and presented. Adoption and use of the reliability index will hopefully considerably aid the optimization of TPS design for future vehicles.

Rasky, Daniel J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Ablative Thermal Protection: An Overview

Contents include the following: Why ablative thermal protections - TPS. Ablative TPS chronology: strategic reentry systems, solid rocket motor nozzles, space (manned missions and planetary entry probes). Ablation mechanisms. Ablation material testing. Ablative material testing.

Laub, Bernie↗
NASA NTRS2010

MSFC Thermal Protection System Materials on MISSE-6

The Lightweight Nonmetallic Thermal Protection Materials Technology (LNTPMT) program studied a number of ceramic matrix composites, ablator materials, and tile materials for durability in simulated space environment. Materials that indicated low atomic oxygen reactivity and negligible change in thermo-optical properties in ground testing were selected to fly on the Materials on International Space Station Experiment (MISSE)-6. These samples were exposed for 17 months to the low Earth orbit environment on both the ram and wake sides of MISSE-6B. Thermo-optical properties are discussed, along with any changes in mass.

Finckenor, Miria M.↗