Abstract:

 This paper designs a new type of ITPS containing phase change material layer (PCM-ITPS). The numerical simulation is conducted to discuss the impact of the PCM on the thermal protection performance, and the PCM-ITPS unit cell test samples are manufactured to test the thermal protection performance. Both numerical simulation and test results prove the excellent thermal protection performance of the PCM-ITPS. On this basis, the thermal stress finite element simulation of the model is completed to verify its mechanical performance. Furthermore, the platform for the automatic design and optimization is built for the PCM-ITPS. With the structural dimensional parameters as the design parameters and the performance requirements as the constraints, the lightweight design of the integrated thermal structure is accomplished. As a result, the mass of the optimized PCM-ITPS is reduced by 23.35% compared with the optimized traditional ITPS. In conclusion, this work is able to provide the theoretical and technical support for the integrated design and manufacturing processes of a thermal protection system.

Key words: Integrated thermal protection system, Thermal protection performance, Thermal stress analysis, Form-stable phase change material, Lightweight optimization design