空间探测烧蚀防热材料应用及发展

Application and Trend of Ablation Thermal Protection Materials for Space Exploration

烧蚀防热材料因其高可靠性及宽适用性而被绝大多数空间探测器所采用。不同的空间探测目标、探测器进入/再入弹道、探测器外形和防热结构质量限制等因素使得烧蚀防热材料种类繁多,但轻量高效是其发展的重要特征;除此以外,可靠性也至关重要,在不同的热环境下,不同材料会表现出不同的烧蚀行为和特征,使得烧蚀防热材料成为空间探测活动成败的关键。本文综述了国内外探测器烧蚀防热材料的种类及应用情况,美国主要包括高密度酚醛/玻璃钢、蜂窝增强型防热材料、树脂浸渍型防热材料以及碳酚醛材料等,国内主要包括酚醛/尼龙、蜂窝增强型防热材料和NF材料,介绍了这些材料所应用的探测器、气动加热环境、防热材料性能和防热结构成型技术,总结了美国空间探测防热材料研制中出现的两次烧蚀异常及导致的探测器选材变化,可见防热材料与热环境耦合关系复杂。国内外针对防热材料抵御异常损伤开展了部分工作。已有试验结果表明,蜂窝增强型防热材料具有一定的优势。最后对空间探测防热材料的应用与发展进行了展望。

Ablation thermal protection materials are used for the most of space probes due to high reliability and wide suitability. Ablation thermal protection materials have various kinds for defferent space exploration goals, entry/reentry trajactory of probe, probe configuration and limit of thermal protection strcture. Light and efficient are the important development characteristic of the ablation thermal protection materials. Furthermore, the reliability is vital important. Different thermal protection materials have different behaviors and characteristics in the different heat environment. Ablation thermal protection materials have critical role for the success of space exploration. The kinds and applications of ablation thermal protection materials for space exploration have been reviewed, including high density glass fiber reinforced phenolic plastics, honeycomb reinforced thermal protection material, resin infiltrated materials, carbon phenolic of US, and nylon phenolic, honeycomb reinforced thermal protection materials and NF materials of China. The applied space exploration probe, aerodynamic heating environment, the material properties and manufacture technology of the thermal protection structure are introduced. The anomaly ablation cases of the materials and the selected materials change of US space exploration are summarized. It is thus clear that the coupling relationship between thermal protection material and heat environment is complex. The research of thermal protection material on resisting anomaly damage in US and our country are introduced. It is showed that the honeycomb reinforced ablation thermal protection materials has advantages for the existing experiment results. The application and development of the thermal protection materials for space exploration are prospected at the end.