Mesoscale analysis of inhomogeneities in ablative materials using statistical distribution of properties

Low-density ablative materials commonly used for Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are composed of a porous, fibrous structure. Most recent studies on these ma- terials have been dedicated to the thermal properties and thermochemical behavior. In recent years, new studies have begun to focus on their mechanical behavior. These stud- ies argue that in order to correctly predict failure of TPS, it is essential to model both the thermal and mechanical response of these materials. The current research activity proposes to use Stochastic s-RVE properties accounting for the large variabilities in these materials. This will lead to a better understanding the effects of inhomogeneities on the structural response of TPS at the mesoscale level by using mechanical properties at the microscale (fiber-scale) based upon synthetic representative elements derived from micro-CT images of real materials. Upon completion, the proposed work could lead to direct implementation in NASA production codes, and be extended to address the ef- fects of inhomogeneity at the mesoscale on other mechanical, thermal, thermochemical, and gas dynamical properties of TPS. This methodology could also directly lead to the development of new TPS materials where the properties are tailored to specific material behavior and can be used to inform additive manufacturing techniques.