The US Air Force has awarded Canopy Aerospace, based in Denver, a $2.8 million contract to expedite the commercialization of next-generation thermal protection systems (TPS) technologies for the service’s hypersonics and re-entry systems.
Interestingly, the new TPS leverages the benefits of transpiration cooling, similar to how sweating cools down humans or evaporation cools down plants.
Hypersonic assets, capable of reaching speeds exceeding Mach 5, operate in some of the most extreme environments known to science, with temperatures reaching 3000°C.
These conditions necessitate engineering assets such as weapon systems, space entry platforms, and transport aircraft with dedicated TPSs, often made of ceramic or ceramic-composite structures.
Sweating to keep cool, move fast
The performance of any fast-moving system is limited by its ability to go as fast as possible without degrading due to thermal stress.
Canopy is developing a transpiration- cooled thermal protection system using advanced additive manufacturing of ceramic materials.
This innovative technology uses transpiration cooling to enhance the thermal resilience of TPS, allowing hypersonic systems to operate at higher speeds and perform more aggressive maneuvers.
Transpiration cooling works by expelling a highly pressurized fluid from the leading edge of a hypersonic vehicle.
This fluid quickly evaporates, creating a protective insulating layer that shields the vehicle from the intense aerothermal heating caused by the friction between the vehicle’s surface and the atmosphere.
Future weapon systems developed by the USAF and utilizing this innovation will be easily deployable for hypersonic applications at scale.
Transpiration cooling is a well-researched technology that could enable true reusability for mass return from orbit on ballistic trajectories.
Canopy aims to advance transpiration-cooled TPS technology with integrated cooling channels, aligning with the Department of the Air Force’s strategic objectives and reinforcing US leadership in hypersonic technology development.
“I think the biggest technological or industrial capability we can invest in would be to increase our production rates, particularly, of the thermal protection systems and additive – thermal protection systems for glide vehicles and additive manufacturing for cruise missile engines.” said Dr. Gillian Bussey, Director of the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering.
Smart TPS for health monitoring
A second capability funded by these awards will be the development of a proprietary, elevated-temperature optical fiber sensing capability for TPS.
It will extend the design envelope for future systems development and reduce downtime needed to maintain and inspect strategic nuclear re-entry systems. This capability is called Health Monitoring Systems for Re-entry Systems (HMSRS) or “Smart TPS.”
Space re-entry and hypersonic flight create a plasma layer surrounding the vehicle, making it difficult for traditional sensors and communication protocols to function effectively.
By implanting sensors into the thermal protection system (TPS) material, upcoming platforms will be able to sense the surrounding environment with greater precision.
This phenomenon will facilitate a deeper understanding of material erosion and the capacity to continuously monitor the structural integrity of the TPS throughout the vehicle’s lifetime.
This investment enables the appropriate level of engineering in manufacturability, ground testing, and integration trials to be flight-ready after the performance. It fills a gap in hypersonic technologies and supports the growing commercial low-earth orbit economy established by NASA and commercial space vehicles.
The combination of these technologies positions Canopy as a key partner in advancing the field of thermal protection systems, enabling defense and space exploration systems to operate more effectively and efficiently in the harshest environments.
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