Ceramic composite thermal protection system

• US 8,752,350 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Pinney, Thomas R., Thatcher, Conley Siddoway, Embler, Jonathan, David, Kaia Elena, Lehman, Leanne L., Zadorozny, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Katcheves, Basil
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMOS, THEODORE V
• Application Number:
  US12/352,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,982 Days
• Field of Search: 524/074, 524/042, 527/00, 527/02, 527/09, 527/180.5, 525/821, 525/841, 525/851, 521/266, 525/060.1, 525/060.5, 525/060.6, 525/060.8, 525/060.9, 525/07, 525/08, 525/09, 525/12, 527/413, 527/450.5, 527/450.6, 527/451.3, 527/471, 49 28- 30, 428/137, 428/192, 295/250.1
• US Class Current: 52/512
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/58 Thermal protection, e.g. heat shields
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/62 Systems for re-entry into the earth's atmosphere; Retarding or landing devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49947 by applying separate fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24322 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a thermal protection element, a number of washers, a ceramic layer, a number of blind fasteners, and a number of tabs. The thermal protection element has an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of sides. The ceramic layer covers at least the plurality of sides of the thermal protection element. The number of tabs is connected to the number of sides by the number of blind fasteners secured to the ceramic layers. The tabs may be part of a frame secured to a groove around the plurality of sides.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a thermal protection element having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of sides, each of the plurality of sides having an outside, the thermal protection element comprising a ceramic substrate and a facesheet, the facesheet comprising a ceramic layer, the ceramic layer covering the upper surface, the lower surface, and the plurality of sides of the thermal protection element, a number of cavities in the ceramic substrate and a number of holes in the facesheet;

a number of blind fasteners positioned such that a portion of the number of blind fasteners extends through the number of holes in the facesheet and into the number of cavities in the ceramic substrate;

a number of first portions of a number of tabs, each of the number of first portions affixed to the outside of the plurality of sides by the number of blind fasteners secured to the ceramic layer, wherein each of the number of tabs have a second portion extending substantially perpendicularly away from the plurality of sides and substantially parallel to and at a distance above a structure; and

a number of fastening elements each having a first end secured to the structure and a second end secured to the second portion and interposed between the structure and the second portion for the distance to create a space between the structure and the second portion;

wherein the lower surface is secured to the structure by the number of tabs, the number of blind fasteners, and the number of fastening elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a number of washers located inside the number of cavities in the substrate of the thermal protection element around a number of sides in the plurality of sides, wherein the number of tabs is connected to the number of sides by the number of blind fasteners secured to the number of washers and the ceramic layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the number of washers is comprised of a material selected from one of a ceramic matrix composite material, a ceramic material, and a metal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal protection element is a ceramic tile.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the structure is for an object selected from one of a mobile platform, an aircraft, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a submarine, a satellite, a rocket, an engine, an engine structure, and an automobile.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ceramic layer is reinforced at a number of locations on which the number of tabs is connected to the plurality of sides by the number of blind fasteners secured to the ceramic layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the number of locations are reinforced using a material selected from one of a ceramic matrix composite material, a ceramic, and a metal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the number of tabs and the number of fastening elements comprise stainless steel or titanium.

9. A method for securing a thermal protection element to a structure, the method comprising:

forming a facesheet over a substrate, the facesheet and the substrate comprising ceramic materials, the facesheet covering an upper surface, lower surface, and a number of sides of the substrate, the facesheet and substrate comprising a thermal protection element;

forming a number of cavities in the substrate and forming a number of holes in the facesheet;

positioning a number of washers in the number of cavities such that a surface of the number of washers is adjacent to an inner surface of the facesheet;

positioning a number of blind fasteners through the number of holes with a portion of the number of blind fasteners positioned in the number of cavities;

connecting a first end of a number of fastening elements to the structure;

positioning the thermal protection element with respect to the number of fastening elements on a surface of the structure, wherein the thermal protection element has a number of first portions of a number of tabs secured to a number of sides on the thermal protection element by a number of blind fasteners, wherein each of the number of tabs have a second portion extending substantially perpendicularly away from the number of sides and substantially parallel to and at a distance above a structure; and

securing the second portion of each of the number of tabs to a second end of each of the number of fastening elements so that each of the number of fastening elements is interposed between the structure and the second portion for the distance to create a space between the structure and the second portion;

wherein the thermal protection element is secured to the structure by the number of tabs, the number of blind fasteners, and the number of fastening elements.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

forming the substrate for the thermal protection element from a ceramic matrix composite material;

forming the first number of holes in the facesheet, wherein the first number of holes is aligned with a second number of holes in the number of washers; and

attaching the number of tabs to the number of sides on the thermal protection element with the number of blind fasteners secured to the number of washers within the substrate of the thermal protection element.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

placing the number of washers within the number of cavities before forming the facesheet over the substrate.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the number of blind fasteners are secured to the facesheet for the thermal protection element and to the number of washers in the substrate.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the number of fastening elements comprise a number of posts.