JP2634255B2 - Metal TPS airframe mounting device for spacecraft - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an airframe mounting structure of a metal TPS (thermal protection system) for a spacecraft.

[Conventional technology]

TPS requires heat resistance and heat insulation,
Reusability in minimum maintenance and maintenance work is required. In particular, NASA and others are studying the replacement of ceramic tiles conventionally used on the US Space Shuttle with metal TPS to satisfy the latter requirement. Fig. 3 shows the method of mounting the metal TPS to the fuselage that has been devised by NASA and others, and the features of each are as follows.

(1) Pre-package type A; As shown in FIG. 1 (a), a TPS unit 3 including a heat insulating material 1 and a nail (clip)
2 attaches to the main structure of the fuselage. The thermal expansion of the TPS unit 3 is absorbed by the slide of the claw 2, but it is difficult to mount and remove the TPS unit 3 alone.

(2) Prepackage type B; the lower surface of the TPS unit 3 at a relatively low temperature is connected to the main body structural part 5 by a fastener 4 as shown in FIG.
Therefore, it is difficult to absorb the thermal expansion of the TPS unit 3.

(3) Non-prepackaged; TP as shown in FIG.
The upper honeycomb panel 6 of S is fixed to the body main structure 5 via the heat insulating material 7 by the support 8, but it is difficult to absorb the thermal expansion of TPS as in the above (2).

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The above conventional ones are excellent in maintenance and maintainability,
When a metal having a large coefficient of thermal expansion is attached to the fuselage as a TPS, there are the following problems and problems.

(1) Due to severe aerodynamic heating when the spacecraft re-enters the earth's atmosphere, the TPS metal panel covering the fuselage surface thermally expands and deforms. As a result, the aerodynamic shape of the airframe is changed, and further, local aerodynamic heating is increased.

(2) Even in the case of the above (1), in which the TPS unit slides to absorb thermal expansion, play and the like at the time of mounting the airframe become a problem, and replacement and maintenance of the TPS unit alone are not easy.

[Means for solving the problem]

Metallic TPS divided into numerous square and rectangular pieces
(Thermal protection system) In the fuselage mounting device, a forked center support that fixes the center of the metal TPS to the main structure of the fuselage, and a narrow column type that fixes the corners of the metal TPS to the main structure of the fuselage Provide side support.

[Action]

With the above-described configuration, the metal TPS is fixed to the fuselage by a forked center support having a large rigidity at the center portion, and is fixed to the fuselage by a small column side support having a small rigidity at the peripheral portion, so that it can withstand aerodynamic loads and the like. Strength and rigidity can be maintained. Further, with respect to aerodynamic heating, the in-plane displacement, which is large due to the thermal expansion, is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the flexible side support. Further, maintenance and maintenance can be performed from the top of the metal TPS.

In this way, a mounting device that is satisfactory in terms of strength and heat and that has good maintenance and maintainability can be obtained.

〔Example〕

One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in Fig. 2, the surface of the spacecraft is heat-resistant in order to avoid the effects of aerodynamic heating, that is, small divided rectangular or rectangular metal TPS10, 11 is attached to the body surface,
A part of the body structure is a heat-resistant structure 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, the metal TPS 20 is a rectangular small piece divided into a number of small pieces, and a predetermined clearance S
To the main structure 5 of the fuselage via the heat-insulating material 1. The mounting device for the metal TPS 20 includes a forked center support 21 for fixing the center portion, and a narrow column side support 22 for fixing the four corners. In the figure, 23 is a rivet,
24 indicates a screw. In the above configuration, the metal TPS2
The center of 0 is a forked center support 21 having sufficient strength and rigidity. The center support 21 is fixed to the main structural part 5 of the fuselage by screws 24, and the four corners are fixed to the fuselage by flexible narrow column side supports 22. Therefore, the aerodynamic load is mainly shared and fixed by the forked center support 21. On the other hand, for thermal expansion due to aerodynamic heating,
Since the metal TPS20 is rigidly fixed to the fuselage at the center, the in-plane deformation with large displacement increases with the periphery,
It is absorbed and fixed by the four rounds of clearance S and the elastic deformation of the more flexible narrow column type side support 22. Further, maintenance and maintenance of the metal TPS portion can be performed by removing and attaching the screw 24 and the side support 22 from the outside. Simple forked center support in this way
The mounting device including the 21 and the narrow column type side support 22 can sufficiently withstand not only aerodynamic load but also aerodynamic heating, and also provides good maintenance and maintainability.

〔The invention's effect〕

 The present invention has the following effects.

(1) Only one central portion of the metal TPS is fixed to the fuselage by the center support, so that rigidity to withstand aerodynamic loads and the like is maintained.

(2) By fixing the corners of the metal TPS to the fuselage with side supports that are more flexible than the center support described above, the in-plane thermal expansion of the metal TPS is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the side supports, and can withstand aerodynamic heating. it can.

(3) Accessible from the top during maintenance and maintenance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 (a) is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 (a), and FIG. 3A is a bottom view and a top view, FIG. 3B is a side view, FIG. 3 is a conceptual configuration diagram of a conventional mounting device, and FIG. FIG. 3B is a diagram of a prepackage type B, and FIG. 3C is a diagram of a non-prepackage type. In the figure, 1 ... heat insulating material, 2 ... claws, 3 ... TPS unit, 4 ... fasteners, 5 ... fuselage main structure, 6 ... top honeycomb panel, 7 ...
Insulation material, 8 support, 10 metal TPS (superalloy honeycomb sandwich type TPS), 11 metal TPS (titanium multi-wall type TPS), 12 heat resistant structure (carbon / carbon), 2
0 ... Metal TPS, 21 ... Bridge type center support, 22 ... Narrow column type side support, 23 ... Rivets, 24 ... Screw.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuhiko Fukuda 10 Oecho, Minato-ku, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Nagoya Aerospace System Works

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A body mounting device for a metal TPS (thermal protection system) divided into a number of small pieces such as a square and a rectangle, comprising: a two-forked center support for fixing a center portion of the metal TPS to a main structure of the body. And a narrow column side support for fixing a corner of the metal TPS to a main structure of the body.