Integral structure and thermal protection system
AssigneeRockwell International Corporation
InventorHarry A. Scott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integral structure and thermal protection system, particularly designed for hypersonic aerospace vehicles, is comprised of a hard external shell or outer face sheet formed of a ceramic matrix, such as silicon carbide, and a rigid insulator core in the form of foamed ceramic, such as silicon carbide, the outer face sheet being integrally connected to the insulator core. A prime strucutral material, such as an aircraft structural member, is integrally connected as by bonding or brazing to the insulator core, the core being attached to the prime structural material or aircraft structural member by an inner face sheet forming the outer skin of such structural member.
Claims20
A thermal protection system for high speed aircraft comprising:
- an outer sheet formed of a ceramic matrix,
- a rigid insulator core consisting essentially of porous foamed ceramic, said outer sheet integrally connected to said core, and
- an internal support structure on said aircraft, said internal support structure being joined to said core through a thin inner face sheet forming a portion of said internal structure, said inner face sheet being bonded to said core,
- said rigid insulator core supporting said thin inner face sheet.
An aerospace vehicle having an integrated thermal protection shield and airframe structure comprising:
- an outer face sheet formed of a ceramic matrix,
- an inner core consisting essentially of porous foamed ceramic supporting said outer face sheet,
- a vehicle structure member, said core being coupled to said vehicle structure member via a thin inner face sheet between said core and said vehicle structure member, said tin inner face sheet forming a portion of said vehicle structure member, and
- means integrally coupling the foamed ceramic core to said inner face sheet,
- said inner core also supporting said thin inner face sheet.
A thermal protection system for high speed aircraft comprising:
- an outer sheet formed of a ceramic matrix,
- a rigid insulator core consisting essentially of porous foamed ceramic, said outer sheet integrally connected to said core, and
- an internal support structure on said aircraft, said internal support structure being joined to said core through a thin metal inner face sheet forming a portion of said internal structure, said inner face sheet being bonded to said core,
- said rigid insulator core supporting said thin metal inner face sheet.
An aerospace vehicle having an integrated thermal protection shield and airframe structure comprising:
- an outer face sheet formed of a ceramic matrix,
- an inner core consisting essentially of porous foamed ceramic supporting said outer face sheet,
- a vehicle structure member, said core being coupled to said vehicle structure member via a thin metal inner face sheet between said core and said vehicle structure member, said thin metal inner face sheet forming a portion of said vehicle structure member, and
- means integrally coupling the foamed ceramic core to said inner face sheet,
- said inner core also supporting said thin metal inner face sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.