Mechanics of hypersonic materials under hypersonic flight conditions
Abstract
The development of advanced hypersonic vehicles necessitates a comprehensive understanding of material response under extreme flight conditions. High-velocity impacts experienced by hypersonic vehicles can result in significant structural degradation and the potential for catastrophicfailure. Moreover, the resulting surface damage can lead to premature boundary layer transition, substantiallyincreasing aerodynamic drag and thermal loading. To address these critical challenges, advanced computational methodologies based on accurate physics-based material models are essential for predicting material damage, damage morphology, and optimizing vehicle design. This research initiative proposes an approach to develop robust material models using advanced experiments capable of forecasting the damage response of model hypersonic materials subjected to hypervelocity impacts. In conjunction with computational modeling efforts, an extensive experimental campaign is planned to provide requisite material properties for model development, calibration, and validation. The research will emphasize the material response mechanisms that lead to failure in hypersonic materials, with a particular focus on hypervelocity impact damage initiation and propagation in Reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) composite and Silicon carbide (SiC) coated RCC. Also, the knowledge gained in this study will be instrumental in developing materials and structural designs that can withstand the extreme conditions encountered during hypersonic flight.A comprehensive experimental program will be conducted, utilizing state-of-the-art techniques such as plate impact experiments with full-field measurements, pressure shear plate impact experiments, and split Hopkinson pressure bar experiments. This multifaceted approach will facilitate the thorough characterization of reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) and silicon carbide (SiC) under extreme loading conditions, spanning pressure regimes from 1 GPa to 50 GPa and strain rate regimes from 103/s to 107/s, reflective of the demanding environments encountered by hypersonic vehicles. By comprehensively characterizing RCC and SiC, this research will uncover the dominant deformation and failure mechanisms in RCC and SiC. The acquired experimental data, encompassing material properties, deformation mechanisms, and failure modes, will be quantitatively analyzed to develop and validate high-fidelity material models. Additional experiments involving complex multiaxial stress states and heterogeneous loading conditions will be used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of these models rigorously. Two computationschemes, Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian and smoothed particle hydrodynamics, appropriate for these high-velocity impact applications, will be used in the simulations. This rigorous approach, integrating advanced experimentation and meticulous model validation, will significantly enhance our understanding of material response andpredictive capability in hypersonic applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 12, 2025
- Source ID
- N000142512178
Entities
People
- Suraj Ravindran
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Regents of the University of Minnesota
- United States Navy