Flexible ablators were conceived in 2009 to meet the technology pull for large, human Mars Exploration Class, 23 m diameter hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerators. As described elsewhere, they have been recently undergoing initial technical readiness (TRL) advancement by NASA. The performance limits of flexible ablators in terms of maximum heat rates, pressure and shear remain to be defined. Further, it is hoped that this emerging technology will vastly expand the capability of future NASA missions involving atmospheric entry systems. This paper considers four topics of relevance to flexible ablators: (1) Their potential applications to near/far term human and robotic missions (2) Brief consideration of the balance between heat shield diameter, flexible ablator performance limits, entry vehicle controllability and aft-body shear layer impingement of interest to designers of very large entry vehicles, (3) The approach for developing bonding processes of flexible ablators for use on rigid entry bodies and (4) Design of large arcjet test articles that will enable the testing of flexible ablators in flight-like, combined environments (heat flux, pressure, shear and structural tensile loading). Based on a review of thermal protection system performance requirements for future entry vehicles, it is concluded that flexible ablators have broad applications to conventional, rigid entry body systems and are enabling to large deployable (both inflatable and mechanical) heat shields. Because of the game-changing nature of flexible ablators, it appears that NASA's Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT) will fund a focused, 3-year TRL advancement of the new materials capable of performance in heat fluxes in the range of 200-600 W/sq. cm. This support will enable the manufacture and use of the large-scale arcjet test designs that will be a key element of this OCT funded activity.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Flexible Ablators: Applications and Arcjet Testing


    Contributors:
    J. O. Arnold (author) / E. Venkatapathy (author) / R. A. S. Beck (author) / K. Mcguire (author) / D. K. Prabhu (author) / S. Gorbunov (author)

    Publication date :

    2011


    Size :

    19 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Flexible Ablators: Applications and Arcjet Testing

    Arnold, James O. / Venkatapathy, Ethiraj / Beck, Robin A S. et al. | NTRS | 2011


    Spallation of Carbon Ablators in Arcjet Facility Experiments

    Grigat, Felix / Löhle, Stefan / Eberhart, Martin et al. | AIAA | 2022


    Flexible ablators

    STACKPOOLE MARGARET M / GHANDEHARI EHSON M / THORNTON JEREMY J et al. | European Patent Office | 2017

    Free access

    Spallation on Carbon Ablators

    Grigat, Felix / Loehle, Stefan / Zander, Fabian et al. | AIAA | 2022


    Charring ablators on lifting entry vehicles

    REINIKKA, E. A. / WELLS, P. B. | AIAA | 1964