Abstract
Abstract Silica/phenolic composite materials are often used in thermal protection systems (TPS) for atmospheric re-entry. The present work aims to compare two different approaches to assess heat transfer properties of these materials: i) using standard and specific experimental methods, and ii) with the development of 3D thermal transfer multiscale model using 2D (microscopy) and 3D (tomography) images. The latter procedure, based on computations on images, is a two-step change of scale from microscopic scale to mesoscopic scale and then to the macroscopic one. Two silica/phenolic composites with different spatial organizations are studied and their thermal properties are compared. Several experimental methods have been used, including space-resolved diffusivity determinations. Numerical results are compared to experimental ones in terms of transverse and longitudinal thermal conductivities of the composites, and were found to be in good agreement. A discussion is made on the different possible sources of uncertainty for both methods.
Highlights
The development of new composites with low weight and high performance is an important issue for the production of thermal protection systems (TPS) for atmospheric re-entry of space objects [1]
We focus on the determination of the thermal properties for this class of materials, comparing the « chopped » arrangement to the continuous fabric layup
The material structure assessed by microscopy and tomography and the properties of the components are used in an ad-hoc numerical procedure to predict the effective thermal diffusivity of the composite
Summary
The development of new composites with low weight and high performance is an important issue for the production of thermal protection systems (TPS) for atmospheric re-entry of space objects [1]. In order to reduce processing costs and to optimize the material with respect to its mission, recent works [5,6] have focused on the fabrication and characterization of composites in which the reinforcement is in the form of discontinuous chopped fabric pieces. This kind of improvement has been studied on aramid/epoxy composites [7], and more generally on polymer-matrix composite prepregs for damage tolerance through mechanical testing [8]. The simultaneous development of these methods aims to contribute to the creation of a «material design tool» which can predict the influence of the reinforcement architecture on the effective thermal diffusivity or conductivity of the composite
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
