Ceramic Composites with Designed Reinforcement Architectures for Hot Structures

Featuring Dr. David B. Marshall
Principal Scientist
Teledyne Scientific

Location: Engineering Tower 204
Refreshments will be served after seminar

Abstract:
The high specific strengths and high temperature capabilities of ceramic composites make them appealing for use in aerospace structures that experience high heat flux and high mechanical loads. Design issues and design maps for such structures will be discussed. Since the strengths of ceramic composites are high only in the directions parallel to the reinforcing fibers, the design of reinforcement architecture is critical. In certain cases the design requirements can only be satisfied by composites formed by textile processes that place reinforcing fibers in optimal positions. Actively cooled C-SiC composite structures capable of satisfying extreme conditions typical of rocket engines have been produced using integrally woven fiber preforms.  The design, fabrication, and properties of these structures will be discussed. Examples in other propulsion systems (hypersonic engines, and turbine engines) will also be reviewed.