Implanted boundary layer trip
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorRobert J. Myer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A technique for monitoring the ablation symmetry of a reentry vehicle by implanting a boundary layer trip material into the nose-tip surfaces of the re-entry vehicle's nose cone. The implantation material is characterized by a density that is usually greater and surface roughness that is greater than that which characterizes the material forming the main portion of the nose cone.
Claims6
A re-entry nose cone comprising a first and a second element;
- said first element being composed of a first carbon-carbon composite ablative material having a recess in the forwardmost portion;
- and said second element including a pair of components, one of the components of said pair of components being in the form of an implant positioned in said recess and being composed of a second carbon-carbon composite ablative material characterized by having a different density than that charactrerized by said first ablative material, and a surface roughness greater than that of said first ablative material, the other component of said pair of components forming a forward cap section for said implant and being composed of a third carbon-carbon composite ablative material characterized by having a density and surface roughness similar to that characterized by said first ablative material;
- whereby said nose cone exhibits a symmetrical erosion profile during its re-entry regime.
A method of controlling the ablation symmetry of a re-entry vehicle nose cone during its re-entry regime which comprises the steps of (A) providing a nose cone composed of a first carbon-carbon composite ablative material;
- (B) machining a recessed portion of predetermined configuration into the leading surface of said nose cone;
- (C) implanting a second carbon-carbon composite material into said recessed portion, said second ablative material characterized by having a different density, and greater surface roughness, than that characterizing said first ablative material, and (D) forming a forward cap section over said implant said cap section composed of a third carbon-carbon composite material characterized by having a density and surface roughness similar to that characterized by said first ablative material such that when said implanted second ablative material is exposed to a re-entry environment, its difference in surface roughness will uniformily trip the nose cone boundary layer thereby allowing the transition forward progression of said nose cone to proceed symmetrically and exhibit a symmetrical erosion profile during its re-entry regime.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.