TPS and Materials Used in Re-Entry Vehicles

TPS AND
MATERIALS
USED IN RE-ENTRY
VEHICLES
ABHISHEK BERA
221711001001
2
NEED FOR THERMAL PROTECTION
SYSTEM
• The orbiter's aluminum • But higher streamlined
structure cannot withstand bodies are more accurate.
temperatures over
175 °C (347 °F) without
structural failure . Aerodynamic
heating during reentry would
push the temperature well
above this level in areas, so an
effective insulator is needed
(Thermal protection system).
• Aerodynamic heating is due to
Design of re-entry
3
THERMAL PROTECTION
1. Heat sinks
APPROACHES
• Process of removal of material from surface of
object by vaporization, chipping or erosion.
• Thus, whenever a vehicle faces a fixed amount
of heat energy designers can lower the peak 3. Radiative cooling
temperature by increasing the volume of its
material to “soak up” more heat. • Reducing equilibrium temperatures by emitting
most of the heat energy before a
2. Ablation vehicle’s structure can absorb .
4
THERMAL PROTECTION USING HEAT
ABLATION PROCESS
• Ablative materials can be 2. Charring, in which the
divided into the following two material pyrolyzes (e.g.,
classes: phenolics, plastic resins, and
1. Non-charring, in which no ablative ceramics).
chemical reaction
occurs inside
the material (e.g., carbon-
carbon or silica).
WORKING 5
• During the re-entry of space • This resin pyrolysis also produces a

vehicle , the wall temperature carbonized porous residue — the
increases. char — that settles on the
• Heat is transferred to the heat reinforcing fiber of the composite .
This process is endothermic.
shield by energized particles
through radiation and convection. • The developed pyrolysis gases
The heat is thus transmitted by press towards the ablative virgin
conduction from the outer surface material, generating a pressure
of the shield to the entire that pushes these gases through
underlying coating layer. the porous structure.
• When ablative material has
undergone adequate heating, a
change of state begins. In a
charring ablative material, the
heated resin undergoes a
decomposition known as pyrolysis.
6
F0RMULATIONS
• During this transit, the gas
mixture can undergo further • Surface energy balance
chemical reactions, such as equation
cracking processes, resulting in
the formation of smaller
molecules and reactions that
generate carbon residues. • Surface recession
• These residues settle in the
preexisting char, thereby
reducing the porosity and
modifying the thermal • Mass flow of pyrolysis gases
conductivity of the charred layer.
• All these reactions must be
strongly endothermic to achieve
effective thermal protection and
heat removal.
SPACE SHUTTLE TPS 7
• An effective TPS material has :

 Overcome high temperature fluctuations
ranging from -156 to 1648 degree Celsius.
 Loads
 Support laminar flow
 Have high emissivity and low thermal
conductivity
 Reusable and lightweight
 Overcome aerodynamic heating
conduction , convection
radiative , catalytic
8
TILES 9
TPS tiles – 2 types:
1. low temperature reusable surface insulation
- used in temperatures upto 649 degree Celsius
- surface emittance=0.8 , solar absorptance=0.32
2. high temperature reusable surface insulation
- black borosilicate glass coating
- surface emittance=0.85 , solar absorptance=0.85
- used in temperatures upto 1260 degree Celsius
- LI-900 and LI-2200.
Tile configuration:
- Alumina Enhanced Barriers in areas where small particles can penetrate.
- Tiles bonded by strain isolation pads and vulcanizing silicone adhesive.
- Inner mold line densified ( uniform dist of stress loads at tile-pad interface).
- tile to tile gap – filler bar ( prevents gas flow into bond line).
DESIGN CHALLENGES 10
Tile Repair • Does not harden and is

workable for 1hr in space and
Case study : can be cured within 24 hrs ( in
Columbia accident orbit ).
( 2003 ) • Gel cleaning brush and primer
• STA-54 used for repairs of material to adhere .
missing or damaged tiles. • Once cured , stronger than
• Decreases swelling during shuttle tile .
reentry.
PRESENT SCENARIO 11
Metallic TPS Fabrication:

• Ductile, design flexibility , • Honeycomb sandwich made of
robust , lower maintenance GH4141 Ni-based superalloy
cost . foils.
• Ni- based superalloy • Ni-based superalloy foils made
honeycomb TPS panel. by cold rolling.
• Flexible lightweight ceramic • Honeycomb core and
insulation attached to inner sandwich fabricated by
side. brazing.
REFERENCES
• Thermal Protection for a Re-Entry Vehicle Using Heat Ablation Process (Research
Gate)-
Suvriti Dhawan, Mohit Vishal, Anmol Taploo .
• Thermal Protection Systems – NASA
Alvaro Rodriguez , Cooper Snapp , Geminesse Dorsey ,Michael Fowler,
Ben Greene ,
William Schneider , Carl Scott.
• A study on metallic thermal protection system panel for Reusable Launch Vehicle
(Science direct)
Yao Caogen∗, Lü Hongjun, Jia Zhonghua, Jia Xinchao , Lu Yan, Li Haigang.
• One-Dimensional Thermal Analysis Model for Charring Ablative Materials - Antonio
Mazzaracchio 12
• Returning from Space : Re-entry

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TPS AND

• During the re-entry of space • This resin pyrolysis also produces a

• An effective TPS material has :

Tile Repair • Does not harden and is

Metallic TPS Fabrication:

• Returning from Space : Re-entry

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