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Completed TRL 5 (started at 3, targeting 5)
Thermal protection systems (TPS) are a critical enabling technology that protects space vehicles from the extreme aerothermodynamic heating experienced during launch and entry. Ablative TPS manage heat by loss of material which will increase surface roughness, potentially leading to energy inefficiencies, early boundary layer transition, and control issues. Local wall shear (i.e., skin friction) is tightly coupled with the TPS ablation cycle and will exacerbate heating rates as surface imperfections increase. Due to the harsh test conditions, wall shear has been historically challenging to measure directly, so numerical simulations and engineering analogies must be used instead. Unfortunately, these methods often result in high uncertainties attributed, in part, to limited knowledge of ablation and char properties.Under the ACO program, in partnership with NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Ahmic will adapt commercial gauges to make direct wall shear measurements using interchangeable elements that incorporate TPS materials of low and moderate density. The gauges will be tested in the Ames arc jet facilities and material response data will be collected under ablative conditions.This program matured wall shear sensor technology and a corresponding test approach to provide a point solution such that ablative TPS materials, either virgin, or with varying levels of charring and material loss, can be characterized in realistic test environments.This effort aligned well with the ACO objectives outlined by Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) by reducing the development cost associated with Ahmic's skin friction measurement technology and accelerating the infusion of new test methodologies applicable to future exploration missions. This technology is best suited for Entry, Descent and Landing, with a focus on technologies for launch vehicle asset recovery and Earth return.
Instrumentation is adaptable to make direct wall shear measurements using interchangeable elements that incorporate TPS materials of low and moderate density. Direct measurement of wall shear reduces uncertainty in environment compared with analytical predictions. Design also permits use of multiple materials to accommodate wide range of environments. Direct measurement of wall shear, on both static and ablating surfaces, enables refinement of aerodynamic and aerothermal models, potentially reducing material performance uncertainties that produce overly conservative (heavy) flight hardware. Reductions in uncertainty can lead to reductions in vehicle mass with commensurate increases in payload. Ahmic has significant experience developing commercial instrumentation technologies and techniques for a wide variety of high-enthalpy flow environments. This program developed wall shear sensor technology and a corresponding test approach to provide a point solution such that ablative TPS materials, either virgin, or with varying levels of charring and surface roughness, can be characterized in realistic test environments.
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