Reusable, oxidation protected reinforced carbon carbon (RCC) has been successfully flown on forty Shuttly Orbiter flights. Thermal testing of the silicon carbide coated, reinforced carbon-carbon to determine its oxidation charcteristics has been performed in both radiant and convective (plasma arc jet) heating test facilities. Subsurface oxidation of the RCC substrate as a result of oxygen penetrating micro cracks (fizzurs) in the coating was characterized as a function of temperature and pressure for both convective and radiant environments. High temperature testing was performed to establish coating recession for over-temperature flight conditions experienced on abort trajectories. Suggested methods for using these test data to establish multi-mission reuse (i.e. mission life) and single emission limits are presented.
Space shuttle orbiter carbon-carbon oxidation performance
Oxidationsbeständigkeit des Carbon/Carbon-Verbundwerkstoffs am Space Shuttle-Raumgleiter
1991
18 Seiten, 22 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 14 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch