Keywords

Hypersonics, Materials, High Temperature Materials, Thermal Response, Experiment, Wind Tunnel

Abstract

Hypersonic vehicles are not only limited by the propulsion systems needed to achieve such speeds but also by the conventional materials currently at hand. At speeds of Mach 5 and above, sections of the vehicle can experience local temperatures exceeding 3000 K, which can severely degrade any material not rated to withstand such extreme environments. This warrants the need for developing novel high-temperature resistant materials to be safely integrated into hypersonic vehicles. Additive manufacturing has been identified as a solution to the process of creating these materials and offers increased design flexibility and quality compared to conventional fabrication methods. A wide array of materials can be created using additive manufacturing techniques, including metals and ceramics, the former of which is the focus of the results of this paper. Aluminum (Al)-F357 and Inconel (IN)-718 specimens were additively manufactured Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), thermally postprocessed, and evaluated by subjecting them to Mach 5 flow for 60 seconds to assess their effectiveness in an extreme thermal environment. Internal surface temperature measurements were recorded, and external temperature infrared (IR) imaging was used during the duration of the test, and then compared across both materials. Additionally, qualitative surface inspection after each test was conducted to assess the quality of the specimen surfaces.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Kareem Ahmed

Degree

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering (M.S.A.E.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

MAE

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029005

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2024

Access Status

Thesis

Accessibility Status

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