Micro-scale Artificial Weave Generation Capabilities for Thermal Protection System Material ModelingThermal Protection System (TPS) modeling requires accurate representation and prediction of the thermomechanical behavior of ablative materials. State-of-the-art TPS materials such as Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) have a proven flight record and demonstrate exceptional capabilities for handling extreme aerothermal heating conditions. The constant push for lightweight materials that are flexible in their design and performance, and hence allow for a wide range of mission profiles, has led NASA over the past years to develop its Heatshield for Extreme Entry Environment Technology (HEEET). HEEET is based primarily on a dual layer woven carbon fiber architecture and the technology has successfully been tested in arc-jet facilities. These recent developments have sparked interest in the accurate micro-scale modeling of composite weave architectures, to predict the structural response of macro-scale heatshields upon atmospheric entry. This effort can be extended to incorporate in-depth failure mechanics analyses as a result of local thermal gradients or high-velocity particle impact.
Document ID
20200000319
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Poster
Authors
Visser, Sander J. (Science and Technology Corp. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
King, Robert J. (Mori Associates, Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Thornton, John M. (Science and Technology Corp. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Brock, Joseph M. (Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Mansour, Nagi N. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)