NASA NTRS Archive 20080025696

15 Pages·2008·0.83 MB·English

(12) United States Patent
(io) Patent No.:
US 7,381,459 B1
Stewart et al.
(45) Date of Patent:
*Jun. 3,2008

(54) TOUGHENED UNI-PIECE, FIBROUS,
REINFORCED, OXIDIZATION-RESISTANT
COMPOSITE

(75) Inventors: David A. Stewart, Santa Cruz, CA
(US); Daniel B. Leiser, San Jose, CA
(US)

(73) Assignee: The United States of America as
represented by the Administrator of
the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), Washington,
DC (US)

( * ) Notice:
Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
patent is extended or adjusted under 35
U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal dis-
claimer.

(21) Appl. No.: 10/779,504

(22) Filed:
Feb. 12, 2004

(51) Int. C1.

(52) U.S. C1. ......................
428/137; 4281138; 4281156;
4281174; 2441159.1; 2441171.7
(58) Field of Classification Search ................ 4281131,
4281137, 138, 156, 174; 2441159.1, 171.7

B64G 1/24
(2006.01)

See application file for complete search history.

(56)
References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,093,771 A
6/1978 Goldstein et al
4,148,962 A
4/1979 Leiser et al.

4,713,275 A
12/1987 Riccitiello et al.
5,079,082 A
1/1992 Leiser et al.
5,985,433 A
11/1999 Leiser et al.
6,225,248 B1
5/2001 Leiser et al.
6,497,390 B1 * 12/2002 Fischer et al. ........... 244/171.7

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Curry, et al., Material Characteristics of Space Shuttle Rein . . . ,
Proc of the 24th National Symposium and Exhibition,Book 2, May
8-10, 1979, 1524-1539, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Riccitello, et al., A Ceramic Matrix Composite Thermal Protection
System for Hypersonic Vehicles, SAMPLE Quarterly, May 1, 1993,
10-17.
Stewart, et al., Thermal Response of Integrated Multicomponent
Com . . . , Ceramic Engineering and Science Proc, Jul. 1987,
613-625, vol. %No. 7-8, American Ceramic Society, Inc.
First Office Action, dated Dec. 14, 2006, from U.S. Appl. No.
10/911,747, CIP to the above Identified application.
* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner-Alicia
Chevalier
(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John
F. Schipper; Robert M.
Padilla

(57)
ABSTRACT

A composite thermal protection structure, for applications
such as atmospheric re-entry vehicles, that can withstand
temperatures as high as 3600" F. The structure includes an
exposed surface cap having a specially formulated coating,
an insulator base adjacent to the cap with another specially
formulated coating, and one or more pins that extend from
the cap through the insulator base to tie the cap and base
together, through ceramic bonding and mechanical attach-
ment. The cap and insulator base have corresponding
depressions and projections that mate and allow for differ-
ences in thermal expansion of the cap and base.

15 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 1 of 9
US 7,381,459 B1

21A

18B

Fig. 1

248

P5

-16A

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 2 of 9

TaSi

US 7,381,459 B1

B, 0, SO,

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 3 of 9
US 7,381,459 B1

1 -

0.9

0.8

0.7

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16
18
20

Wavelength, h , microns
Fig. 4g

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 4 of 9

7 -
7
F -
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0
0
0
a
0
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8
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(D
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US 7,381,459 B1

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 5 of 9

1

0

N
0
7
8

0

cv
0
8

0

0

US 7,381,459 B1

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 6 of 9

CD
cc)
0
8

0

(v
0
8

0

0

T
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US 7,381,459 B1

T
T
y
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8

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 7 of 9

0
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53
z
z
z

0
0
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0
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O

0
0
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W
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cu
N
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US 7,381,459 B1

0
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7

0
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U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 8 of 9
US 7,381,459 B1

51 0

505

510

507

U.S. Patent
Jun. 3,2008
Sheet 9 of 9
US 7,381,459 B1

3500

3000

2500
Tem pera tu re, O F

2000

1500

1000

50 0

0
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Time, Seconds

3500

3000

2500
Temperature,"F

2000

1500

1000

500

I
I
I
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Time, Seconds