Review on determination of Carbon Phenolic composite structure thickness under aero-thermal loading.

Abstract

Composite structures are used in many part of aerospace structures for their unique characteristics and properties. This composite structures are design and fabricated to protect payloads from severe aerodynamic loading and heating during their performance. Carbon-epoxy is used for internal layer because of its structural properties whereas Carbon-phenolic (C-Ph) composites are well fabricated to meet the requirements of thermal protection system. In this review paper, behavior of thermal protection system under aero-thermal load during re-entry at hypersonic speed through earth atmosphere has been studied. Vehicles shapes design, velocity, trajectory and heating rate experienced are the factors that are playing important role in performance of Thermal protection systems has been studied. Modeling of blunt body using CAD and imported to simulation software USIM to visualize different properties of the atmosphere and blunt body model. The pyrolysis and erosion of the ablator was simulated by implementing finite element models. Through the studied of velocities, shapes and heat flux conditions, the rate of ablation, surface temperature, residual thickness of the material has been estimated.