Evaluation method and key factor analysis for thermal protection performance of multifunctional integrated ablative materials

Abstract The thermal protection materials of hypersonic aircrafts in near space are subjected to extremely serious aerothermodynamic environment under long heating time, higher enthalpy, larger heat accumulation, and so forth. Proposing new concepts of materials and accurate evaluation of their performance take the dominant roles in developing high‐efficiency thermal protection materials under this severe environment. By introducing the concepts of gradient and fiber hybridization, this study proposes a multifunctional integrated ablative material scheme to replace heritage ones in order to improve the heat insulation, ablation resistant, and weight reduction capacities. Meanwhile, a thermal‐fluid‐ablative coupling mathematical model taking the manufacturing processing parameters reflecting the gradient and fiber hybridization into consideration is established. Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis for the manufacturing processing parameters is carried out. A simulation tool is developed based on writing FORTRAN codes to solve the multi‐field coupling model numerically. The results that the model and code are effective in analyzing the material's performance and the key manufacturing processing parameters influencing on the thermal protection performance of multifunctional integrated ablative material are pointed out. This work helps to design new thermal protection materials for hypersonic vehicles under extreme aerothermodynamic environments. Highlights New scheme of multifunctional integrated ablative material is proposed. Developed multi‐field coupling thermal protection model for new material is established. A bridge between material responses and manufacture processing parameters is built. Key factors influencing on material performance are pointed out by sensitivity analysis.