Effects of Fiber Reinforcement Architecture on the Hygrothermal-Mechanical Performance of Polymide Matrix Composities for Aeropropulsion Applications

摘要

A rigid lighweight sandwich support structure, for the combustor chamberof a new generation liquid propellant rocket engine, was designed and fabricated using polymer matrix composite (PMC) facesheet on a Ti honeycomb core. The PMC facesheet consisted of high stiffness carbon fiber, M40JB, and high temperature Polyimides, such as PMR-II-50 and HFPE-II-52. Six different fiber architectures; four harness satin (4HS) woven fabric, uni-tape, woven-uni-hybrid, stitched woven fabric, stitiched uni-tape and triaxial braided structures have been investigated for optimum stiffness-thickness- weight-hygrothermal performance design criteria for the hygrothermal-mechanical propulsion service exposure conditions including rapid heating up to 200 degrees F/sec, maximum operating temperature of 600 degrees F, internal pressureup to 100 psi. One of the specific objectives in this study is to improve composite blistering resistance in z-direction at minimum expense of in-plane mechanical properties.