PHYSICAL SCIENCES INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF151-191

Description

ABSTRACT: Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to determine the high-temperature properties of thermal protection system materials and structural materials utilized in the development, design, fabrication and testing of hypersonic vehicles. Test vehicle flights aimed at understanding the structural integrity of hypersonic demonstrators have been performed from about Mach 5 to 20, but these vehicles have not been recovered. The post-test forensics is difficult due to the lack of the high temperature properties of the thermal protection layer and the structural material strength. In order to properly design hypersonic test vehicles and the weapon systems that evolve from them, it is necessary to better understand the materials in their proper thermal environment. The goal of this proposed effort is to determine these high-temperature properties by a combination of experimental laser testing and modeling. PSI has achieved prior success in such evaluations using a well-characterized thermal source and matching as many experimental test results as possible as a function of the experiment time duration. In Phase I we will analyze prior test data for an innovative advanced material and determine a consistent material property data set. The Phase II effort will acquire new material property data for the hypersonic material database. BENEFIT: The acquisition of validated high-temperature properties for thermal protection materials and structural materials will lead to rapid improvements in the design, development and testing of new hypersonic weapon systems. The recommended hypersonic material database development will be of keen interest to the Air Force, DoD and DARPA as the development of hypersonic vehicles accelerates. NASA and commercial corporations will also find the database and the innovative material data acquisition process very useful as they develop hypersonic technology for earth and other planetary ventures.