Expert Insight -- Space shuttle tiles
Bill Fahrenholtz and Greg Hilmas, both assistant professors of ceramic engineering at UMR, are working to develop ultra-high-temperature ceramic tiles – tiles that could be used on future space shuttles. Although their research is funded by a three-year, $300,000 grant from the Air Force, NASA and Boeing would benefit from their studies by applying the findings to plans for future space travel.
Q: How will ultra-high-temperature ceramic tiles influence future space shuttle flights?
Advanced designs for re-entry vehicles incorporate sharp leading edges, in contrast to the blunt edges of the current space shuttle.These advanced aerospace vehicles will be able to maneuver to a variety of landing sites from almost any point in orbit and even change landing sites by maneuvering during re-entry. The trade-off is that the temperature of the leading edges increases substantially -- thus, the need for new materials.
The current space shuttle orbiter uses silicon carbide-coated carbon-based composites in this area, which have a maximum operating temperature of about 1,600 degrees Celsius. The zirconium boride-based materials that we are investigating should be capable of operating at temperatures above 2,000 degrees Celsius, making these advanced designs possible.
Q: Aside from increased maneuverability, how will these new tiles alter future space shuttle missions?
The current blunt-nose space shuttle orbiter re-enters the atmosphere so that the bottom of the orbiter sees the highest temperatures. This orientation creates a shock wave ahead of the orbiter that reduces the surface temperature. One of the consequences of the current design is that the ionized gases ahead of the shock front interfere with communication during part of re-entry. Elimination of the shock wave or barrier layer will also eliminate interference with communications during re-entry.
Interview with Fahrenholtz and Hilmas
KUMR feature on ultra-high-temperature ceramic tiles with Bill Fahrenholtz and Greg Hilmas, hosted by UMR's Vice Provost for Research Wayne Huebner