DESIGN, FABRICATION, AND TESTING OF AN INSULATED CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITE EXHAUST PIPE

摘要

The Navy is developing unmanned helicopters for reconnaissance, communications, and defensive missions. The survivability of the vehicle can be enhanced by replacing the metallic exhaust system with an insulated ceramic matrix composite (CMC). The goal of the program described here was to demonstrate the feasibility of the CMC exhaust system by designing, fabricating, and flight testing an insulated CMC exhaust duct. The paper will discuss the design calculations, outline the fabrication procedure, describe the flight test, and compare the observed behavior to the design goals.