Aerothermal/FEM Analysis of Hypersonic Sharp Leading Edges

Advanced hypersonic vehicles, like wave riders, will have sharp leading edges to minimize drag. These designs require accurate finite element modeling (FEM) of the thermal-structural behavior of a diboride ceramic matrix composite sharp leading edge. By coupling the FEM solver to an engineering model of the aerothermodynamic heating environment the impact of non catalytic surfaces, rarefied flow effects, and multidimensional conduction on the performance envelopes of sharp leading edges can be examined.