SBIR/STTR
Seam joining techniques for three-dimensional woven carbon material of at least 1" thickness., Phase I
Project Introduction
Heat shield technology is a critical component for both re-entry and hypersonic vehicles. The traditional manufacturing approach for designing heat shields consists of joining TPS tiles together with an adhesive that fills any gaps between them. This approach has significant challenges, including the reduction in thermal-mechanical performance as compared to that of acreage woven material. Nhung's Notions proposes to address this problem by modifying existing equipment to mechanically join these materials prior to infusion. In Phase I, we will determine the material and pattern parameters required to use with equipment to prepare the joins while minimizing damage to the pristine woven material while maintaining consistent thickness between pre- and post- joined material keeping pattern consistency throughout the process.
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Anticipated Benefits
Potential NASA Commercial Applications: The completion of the project will result in a method for joining and repairing mid-to-high density ablative TPS materials of at least 1" thickness. This project will provide new ways of adequately designing large and/or complex shapes for heat shields to protect the spacecraft, enabling operation under harsher conditions with a reduction in both weight and cost. The next generation of crew reentry vehicles being designed by NASA will require more advanced Thermal Protection System (TPS) designs than the conservative approaches currently used. While new TPS materials are under development, a key difficulty is the ability to create the joining seam TPS material which is not reduce the thermal-mechanical performance compared TPS woven material. This project helps address that difficulty.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Ames Research Center
(ARC)
|
Lead Organization | NASA Center | Moffett Field, CA |
| Nhung's Notions | Supporting Organization | Industry | SAUGUS, MA |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Massachusetts
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Organizational Responsibility
Responsible Mission Directorate:
- Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD)
Lead Center / Facility:
- Ames Research Center (ARC)
Responsible Program:
- SBIR/STTR
Project Management
Program Director:
Program Manager:
Project Manager:
Principal Investigators:
- Tuyetnhung Pham
- Pham Tuyetnhung
Project Duration
Start: Jun 2014
End: Dec 2014
Technology Maturity (TRL)
| Start: | 2 |
| Current: | 2 |
| Estimated End: | 2 |
Applied Research
Development
Demo & Test
Technology Areas
Primary:
- TA 9 Entry, Descent, and Landing Systems
- TA 9.1 Aeroassist and Atmospheric Entry
- TA 9.1.1 Thermal Protection Systems for Rigid Decelerators
Other / Cross-cutting:
- TA 12 Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems and Manufacturing
- TA 12.1 Materials
- TA 12.1.5 Special Materials
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