AIR VEHICLES INTEGRATION AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH (AVIATR) Task Order 0015: Predictive Capability for Hypersonic Structural Response and Life Prediction Phase 1 - Identification of Knowledge Gaps

摘要

Structural design of hypersonic vehicles requires additional considerations and effort, relative to conventional subsonic and low-supersonic aircraft, because of the wide Mach number range and the associated heating effects at high Mach numbers. At high temperatures, conventional structural materials, such as metals, suffer from reduced strength, reduced stiffness, increased creep, increased oxidation, increased thermal stresses, and other detrimental effects that impact structural design; many of these effects are of limited concern for aircraft with more conventional Mach number range and so hypersonic vehicles require a different approach to structural design. Hypersonic vehicle project analysts can no longer use independent methodologies coupled in a linear superposition approach for analysis and inputs to the vehicle design. This necessitates the use of coupled aerothermal and structural design methodologies for detailed hypersonic vehicle design, eventual reusable flight capability, and service life predictability.