Flight and Ground Tests of a Very-low-density Elastomeric Ablative Material

Flight and Ground Tests of a Very-low-density Elastomeric Ablative Material
Author: George C. Olsen
Publisher:
Total Pages: 44
Release: 1972
Genre: Ablation (Aerothermodynamics)
ISBN:

A very low density ablative material, a silicone-phenolic composite, was flight tested on a recoverable spacecraft launched by a Pacemaker vehicle system; and, in addition, it was tested in an arc heated wind tunnel at three conditions which encompassed most of the reentry heating conditions of the flight tests. The material was composed, by weight, of 71 percent phenolic spheres, 22.8 percent silicone resin, 2.2 percent catalyst, and 4 percent silica fibers. The tests were conducted to evaluate the ablator performance in both arc tunnel and flight tests and to determine the predictability of the albator performance by using computed results from an existing one-dimensional numerical analysis. The flight tested ablator experienced only moderate surface recession and retained a smooth surface except for isolated areas where the char was completely removed, probably following reentry and prior to or during recovery. Analytical results show good agreement between arc tunnel and flight test results. The thermophysical properties used in the analysis are tabulated.

Effect of Environmental Parameters on the Performance of Low-density Silicone-resin and Phenolic-nylon Ablation Materials

Effect of Environmental Parameters on the Performance of Low-density Silicone-resin and Phenolic-nylon Ablation Materials
Author: Ronald K. Clark
Publisher:
Total Pages: 48
Release: 1965
Genre: Ablative materials
ISBN:

Thermal performance data were obtained for low-density phenolic-nylon and low-density silicone resin in the 2500-kilowatt arc jet at the Langley Research Center over a range of heating rates from 10 to 242 Btu/sq ft-sec (0.113 to 2.75/sq m ) and a range of aerodynamic shear stresses from 0 to 7.2 lb/sq ft (0 to 344 N/sq m) at Jet-stream oxygen concentrations ranging from 0 to 23 percent. With use of these data, analyses were made of the relative effect of environmental parameters such as heating rate, free-stream oxygen concentration, stagnation enthalpy, and aerodynamic shear stress on the performance of these materials.