Thermostructural Design of a Flying Winglet Experimental Structure for the EXPERT Reentry Test
- Paper number
IAC-07-C2.1.05
- Author
Dr. Marco Gigliotti, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Mr. Michele Ferraiuolo, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Aniello Riccio, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Domenico Tescione, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Roberto Gardi, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Giuliano Marino, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Within the framework of the ESA-ESTEC/CIRA EXPERT program, aimed at the design and test of an experimental reentry capsule, an activity has started to design a flying winged experimental payload to assess the thermo-mechanical behaviour and resistance of ultra high temperature ceramics (UHTC) in real flight aero-thermal environment. These materials are able to sustain temperatures up to around 2800 K and may tolerate the thermal solicitations occurring during the re-entry phase of space vehicles exposed to high aero-thermal fluxes. Therefore, such materials are potential candidates for “hot structure” applications, leading to the replacement of conventional TPS concepts in zones subjected to very high thermal loads. The EXPERT flying winglet article is intended to reproduce such conditions. The wing tip is thermally loaded up to its allowable values, provided the thermal exchange does not compromise the temperatures on the EXPERT capsule TPS made of PM1000 metal-based alloy materials. Moreover: - the interfaces between the UHTC winglet and the EXPERT capsule TPS have to be designed to withstand with thermal loads arising during the re-entry phase. The thermal mismatch between the two parts is consistent and the resulting critical stress should be accommodated, - the fixation of the interface/support to the EXPERT capsule TPS achieved by means of dedicated bolts must withstand with mechanical loads occurring at the first stages of the flight, that is, during, lift-off, ascent and separation stages. The design is performed by employing ANSYS/Workbench FE 3D commercial code; simulations take into full account transient thermostructural loading conditions, the elasto-fragile behaviour of the ceramic materials and the temperature dependent PM1000 elasto-plastic behaviour. A configuration respecting all the requirements of the design is identified and its thermomechanical performances are discussed in detail.
- Abstract document