Session: Max Jakob Memorial Award Lecture

Paper Number: 119139

119139 - An Abstract for the Max Jacob Memorial Lecture On the Application of Phase Change Materials for the Thermal Control of Hypersonic Vehicles 

The technological challenges associated with the development of next generation commercial Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Department of Defense (DOD) hypersonic vehicles, are substantial. Friction between the vehicle and the surrounding environment results in aero-thermodynamic heating and generates extremely high heat fluxes and thermally induced stresses, all in a high-g, potentially corrosive environment. The extremely high heat fluxes at the vehicle leading edges may result in temperatures in the range of 3,000 °C on the vehicle surface and dictates the need for new, robust thermal management solutions capable of operating at Mach 13-16 and altitudes of 50 to 55 km at local gravitational loads of 3 to 5 g’s, while still retaining the structural integrity required in the complex geometry of these hypersonic vehicles. The combination of recent advancements in refractory-additive manufacturing technology, when coupled with phase change materials, presents an opportunity for the development of novel integrated thermal management systems capable of operating at these extreme conditions. 

Presented here is an overview of several of the approaches that utilize phase change technology and advanced materials and fabrication techniques, to address these and other related issues to develop systems that are capable of transporting the very high heat fluxes occurring at the leading edges of the vehicles to other areas where the heat can be dissipated. A brief summary of the operational requirements and historical development of these systems, along with the current state-of-the art and challenges presented in these applications is presented and discussed. 

Presenting Author: G. P. Bud Peterson Georgia Institute of Technology