Leading edge systems and methods for aerospace vehicles

A leading edge system for an aerospace vehicle, the leading edge system comprising:

• at least one structural member comprising one of, a spar, a rib, a stringer, and a beam;
• a plurality of removable modules removably attached to the at least one structural member, each removable module comprising:
• a hollow box substructure having a D-box configuration, a plurality of internal sides that are flat, and a flow inhibiting barrier attached to an interior central portion of the hollow box substructure, the flow inhibiting barrier forming two separate volumes within the hollow box substructure, the hollow box substructure having a back side adjacent an exterior side of the at least one structural member;
• at least one flange portion disposed along a first end of the hollow box substructure;
• and
• a thermal protection system (TPS) comprising at least a plurality of thermally insulative ceramic tiles coupled to an exterior of the hollow box substructure, wherein the thermally insulative ceramic tiles withstand high temperatures in a temperature range of from 500° F. (five hundred degrees Fahrenheit) to 2500° F. (two thousand five hundred degrees Fahrenheit);
• a plurality of first attachment elements configured for attaching the at least one flange portion of the removable module to a first end portion of the at least one structural member;
• and
• a plurality of second attachment elements configured for attaching a second end of the hollow box substructure opposite the at least one flange portion, to a second end portion of the at least one structural member opposite the first end portion, the plurality of second attachment elements being fixed to an extension portion of the at least one structural member.

A method of assembling a leading edge system for an aerospace vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

• assembling a plurality of removable modules, each removable module comprising:
• a hollow box substructure having a D-box configuration with a plurality of internal sides that are flat;
• a first end having at least one flange portion with a plurality of flange attachment openings;
• a second end having a plurality of substructure second end attachment openings;
• and
• a thermal protection system (TPS) comprising a plurality of thermally insulative ceramic tiles coupled to an exterior of the hollow box substructure, wherein the thermally insulative ceramic tiles withstand high temperatures in a temperature range of from 500° F. (five hundred degrees Fahrenheit) to 2500° F. (two thousand five hundred degrees Fahrenheit);
• providing at least one structural member disposed in the aerospace vehicle, the at least one structural member comprising one of, a spar, a rib, a stringer, and a beam, and the at least one structural member having a first end portion with a plurality of first end attachment openings, and a second end portion having an extension portion with a plurality of extension portion attachment openings, wherein the hollow box substructure has a back side adjacent an exterior side of the at least one structural member;
• providing a plurality of first attachment elements, and a plurality of second attachment elements;
• coupling the second end of each hollow box substructure to the second end portion of the at least one structural member, by inserting each of the plurality of second attachment elements through each of the plurality of extension portion attachment openings aligned with each of the plurality of substructure second end attachment openings, the plurality of second attachment elements being fixed to an extension portion of the at least one structural member;
• fastening the first end of each hollow box substructure to the first end portion of the at least one structural member, by inserting each of the plurality of first attachment elements through each of the plurality of flange attachment openings aligned with each of the plurality of first end attachment openings;
• and
• obtaining the leading edge system for the aerospace vehicle, wherein each of the plurality of removable modules is separately removable and replaceable.