Superplastic Formed Titanium Panel for Hypersonic Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal management strategies for aerospace vehicles, such as those using ceramic and nickel alloys, are heavy, expensive, and inadequate for hypersonic speeds, necessitating a lighter and less costly titanium alloy structure that can effectively manage thermal loads at lower steady-state temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A superplastic formed and diffusion bonded (SPF/DB) sandwich structure with a multicellular core sandwiched between exterior and interior skins, incorporating a tube for cooling fluid conveyance, which is integrally bonded to both skins to provide enhanced strength and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If ceramic tiles are used for thermal management at hypersonic speeds, then thermal protection is improved, but weight increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite sandwich structure consisting of titanium alloy skins and a titanium foam core, replacing traditional ceramic thermal protection systems. This composite approach provides effective thermal management at hypersonic speeds while significantly reducing weight compared to ceramic tile solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters by using superplastic forming and diffusion bonding processes to create a titanium-based composite structure with specific density and thermal properties. The titanium foam core density and cell structure are optimized to provide thermal protection while maintaining low weight.
2Temperature
If nickel alloys are used for thermal management, then thermal protection is improved, but weight increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces nickel alloy thermal management systems with a titanium-based composite sandwich structure. The titanium alloy skins and foam core provide comparable thermal protection while reducing weight, as titanium has a lower density than nickel alloys.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material composition from nickel alloys to titanium alloys, altering the density and thermal properties parameters. The superplastic forming process enables precise control of the titanium foam core structure to optimize thermal management performance while maintaining weight reduction benefits.
3Temperature
If traditional thermal management structures are used, then thermal protection is provided, but fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The titanium-based composite sandwich structure reduces overall vehicle weight compared to traditional ceramic or nickel alloy thermal management systems. This weight reduction directly decreases fuel consumption for hypersonic flight while maintaining effective thermal protection capabilities.
4Ease of manufacture
If separate components are used for thermal management, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the thermal management function directly into the exterior panel structure itself, combining the skin and core into a single sandwich structure. The cooling channels are incorporated within the panel design rather than being separate components, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while maintaining thermal management effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The exterior panel serves multiple functions simultaneously: structural support, thermal management, and cooling fluid conveyance. The integrated design eliminates the need for separate thermal protection components, reducing manufacturing complexity while providing comprehensive functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The SPF/DB sandwich structure offers improved tensile and compressive strength, reduced weight, and effective thermal management at hypersonic speeds, achieving lower steady-state temperatures while being more cost-efficient than existing solutions.
Implementation Method 1
a tube extends through the multicellular core adjacent the exterior skin for conveyance of a cooling fluid
Implementation Method 2
The multicellular core is superplastic formed and diffusion bonded to the exterior skin, the tube, and the interior skin
Implementation Method 3
The multicellular core is superplastic formed and diffusion bonded to the exterior skin, the tube, and the interior skin
Data Source
AI summary
An exterior panel is configured to accommodate high thermal stresses imposed on exterior surfaces of aerospace transport vehicles during hypersonic flight. The exterior panel is formed of a superplastic material such as a titanium alloy, and includes an exterior skin and a plurality of cooling tubes that extend through the panel. The exterior panel further includes an interior skin configured to be attached to a frame member such as a rib, stringer, or spar of the transport vehicle. The tubes pass through a multicellular core, which is sandwiched between the exterior and interior skins to impart tensile and compressive strength to the exterior panel. In one disclosed method, the core is superplastic formed and diffusion bonded to the exterior skin, the tubes, and the interior skin. A cooling fluid, which may be a gas or liquid, including a fuel, may be pumped through the tubes to cool the exterior panel.