Characteriztion of the Effects of Mechanical Loading on the Thermal Conductrivity of Porous Insulation Materials

The proposed research activity will be the development of an experimental method and facility for measuring the change in thermal conductivity of porous insulation materials used in thermal protection systems (TPS) for re-entry vehicles. A comparative cut-bar apparatus for measuring thermal resistance has been previously developed. This system will be modified to allow the test to be compressed during testing, which will reduce the gap size between the fibers to simulate the deformation experienced by flexible TPS materials during re-entry. This capability will enable the development of models to predict the dynamic thermal property variation experienced by these materials when under stress and to inform the system design as well as trajectory selection process.