Effect of Air Gap under Fabric on Thermal Protective Performance Using an Improved Apparatus

The bench top test is one of the most important and effective methods to evaluate the total thermal protective performance(TPP) of firefighters' protective clothing,which is greatly influenced by the air gaps entrapped.In this paper,to investigate the effect of air gap width on TPP,a new improved apparatus with two height changeable buttons to hold the thermal sensor was developed to get a series of air gap sizes from 0 mm to 40 mm.The TPP of two types of flame-resistant outer fabrics was measured with TPP test apparatus respectively.Analysis of temperature rise with each air gap width was made to determine the effects of different air gaps on protective performance.It was indicated that air gap size had great effect on TPP of fabrics in the bench top test.An air gap width above 8 mm was suggested for the thermal protective clothing design.

Modeling Thermal Protective Performance of Multilayer Fabrics for Firefighters

This paper is to report a prediction model for thermal protective performance of multilayer fabrics based on Matlab neural network toolbox. Then a back propagation (BP) neural network model is developed to predict thermal protective performance of multilayer fabrics for firefighters. The network consists of twelve input nodes, six hidden nodes, and one output node. The inputs are weight, thickness, density of warp and weft, limited oxygen index (LOI), and heat conductivity of each-layer fabric. Thermal protective performance (TPP) rating of multilayer fabrics is the output. In this paper, the data from the experiments are used as learning information for the neural network to develop a reliable prediction model. Finnally the model performance is verified, and the proposed model can be applied to predict the thermal protective performance of multilayer fabrics for firefighters.

Effect of Phase Change Materials on the Thermal Protective Performance of the Multi-layered Fabrics Examined by TPP Tester under Flash Fire

Cotton fabrics treated with phase change materials( PCMs)were used in multi-layered fabrics of the fire fighter protective clothing to study its effect on thermal protection. The thermal protective performance( TPP) of the multi-layered fabrics was measured by a TPP tester under flash fire. Results showed that the utilization of the PCM fabrics improved the thermal protective performance of the multi-layered fabrics. The fabric with a PCM add on of 41. 9% increased the thermal protection by 50. 6% and reduced the time to reach a second degree burn by 8. 4 s compared with the reference fabrics( without PCMs). The employment of the PCM fabrics also reduced the blackened areas on the inner layers. The PCM fabrics with higher PCM melting temperature could bring higher thermal protective performance.

Establishment and Optimization of Ablation Surrogate Model for Thermal Protection Material

The temperature response calculation of thermal protection materials,especially ablative thermal protection materials,usually adopts the ablation model,which is complicated in process and requires a large amount of calculation.Especially in the process of optimization calculation and parameter identification,the ablation model needs to be called many times,so it is necessary to construct an ablation surrogate model to improve the computational efficiency under the premise of ensuring the accuracy.In this paper,the Gaussian process model method is used to construct a thermal protection material ablation surrogate model,and the prediction accuracy of the surrogate model is improved through optimization.

STEADY HEAT TRANSFER ANALYSIS AND PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION FOR MULTILAYER THERMAL INSULATIONS

The energy equilibrium equation and discrete ordinate methods are combined to establish the one-dimensional steady heat transfer mathematical model of multi-layer thermal insulations （MTIs） in metallic thermal protection systems. The inverse problem of heat transfer is solved by the genetic algorithm and data from the steady heat transfer experiment of fibrous thermal insulations. The density radiation attenuation coefficient, the albedo of fibrous thermal insulations and the surface emissivity of reflective screens are optimized. Finally, the one-dimensional steady heat transfer model of MTIs with optimized thermal physical parameters is verified by experimental data of the effective MTI conductivity.

Self-actuating protection mechanisms for safer lithium-ion batteries

Safety issue is still a problem nowadays for the large-scale application of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)in electric vehicles and energy storage stations.The unsafe behaviors of LIBs arise from the thermal run-away,which is intrinsically triggered by the overcharging and overheating.To improve the safety of LIBs,various protection strategies based on self-actuating reaction control mechanisms(SRCMs)have been proposed,including redox shuttle,polymerizable monomer additive,potential-sensitive separator,thermal shutdown separator,positive-temperature-coefficient electrode,thermally polymerizable addi-tive,and reversible thermal phase transition electrolyte.As build-in protection mechanisms,these meth-ods can sensitively detect either the temperature change inside battery or the potential change of the electrode,and spontaneously shut down the electrode reaction at risky conditions,thus preventing the battery from going into thermal runaway.Given their advantages in enhancing the intrinsic safety of LIBs,this paper overviews the research progresses of SRCMs after a brief introduction of thermal runaway mechanism and limitations of conventional thermal runaway mitigating measures.More importantly,the current states and issues,key challenges,and future developing trends of SRCTs are also discussed and outlined from the viewpoint of practical application,aiming at providing insights and guidance for developing more effective SRCMs for LIBs.

Experimental demonstration of a new concept of drag reduction and thermal protection for hypersonic vehicles

A new idea of drag reduction and thermal protection for hypersonic vehicles is proposed based on the combination of a physical spike and lateral jets for shockreconstruction. The spike recasts the bow shock in front of a blunt body into a conical shock, and the lateral jets work to protect the spike tip from overheating and to push the conical shock away from the blunt body when a pitching angle exists during flight. Experiments are conducted in a hypersonic wind tunnel at a nominal Mach number of 6. It is demonstrated that the shock/shock interaction on the blunt body is avoided due to injection and the peak pressure at the reattachment point is reduced by 70% under a 4° attack angle.

Application of high temperature heat pipe in hypersonic vehicles thermal protection

In order to develop further the application of high temperature heat pipe in hypersonic vehicles thermal protection, the principles and characteristics of high temperature heat pipe used in hypersonic vehicles thermal protection were introduced. The methods of numerical simulation, theory analysis and experiment research were utilized to analyze the frozen start-up and steady state characteristic of the heat pipe as well as the machining improvement for fabricating irregularly shaped heat pipe which is suitable for leading edge of hypersonic vehicles. The results indicate that the frozen start-up time of heat pipe is long （10 min） and there exists large temperature difference along the heat pipe （47 ℃/cm）, but the heat pipe can reduce the temperature in stagnation area of hypersonic vehicles from 1 926 to 982 ℃ and work normally during 1 000-1 200℃. How to improve the maximum heat transfer capability and reduce the time needed for start-up from frozen state of the heat pipe by optimizing thermostructure such as designing of a novel wick with high performance is the key point in hypersonic vehicles thermal protection of heat pipe.

Numerical investigation on properties of attack angle for an opposing jet thermal protection system

The three-dimensional Navier Stokes equation and the k-ε viscous model are used to simulate the attack angle characteristics of a hemisphere nose-tip with an opposing jet thermal protection system in supersonic flow conditions. The numerical method is validated by the relevant experiment. The flow field parameters, aerodynamic forces, and surface heat flux distributions for attack angles of 0°, 2°, 5°, 7°, and 10° are obtained. The detailed numerical results show that the cruise attack angle has a great influence on the flow field parameters, aerodynamic force, and surface heat flux distribution of the supersonic vehicle nose-tip with an opposing jet thermal protection system. When the attack angle reaches 10°, the heat flux on the windward generatrix is close to the maximal heat flux on the wall surface of the nose-tip without thermal protection system, thus the thermal protection has failed.

Research progress on thermal protection materials and structures of hypersonic vehicles

Hypersonic vehicles represent future trends of military equipments and play an important role in future war. Thermal protection materials and structures, Which relate to the safety of hypersonic vehicles, are one of the most key techniques in design and manufacture of hypersonic vehicles. Among these materials and Structures, such as metallic temperature protection structure, the temperature ceramics and carbon/carbon composites are usually adopted in design. The recent progresses of research and applica- tion of ultra-high temperature materials in preparation, oxidation resistance, mechanical and physical characterization are summarized.

Innovative Design and Additive Manufacturing of Regenerative Cooling Thermal Protection System Based on the Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Porous Structure

The new regenerative cooling thermal protection system exhibits the multifunctional characteristics of load-carrying and heat exchange cooling,which are fundamental for the lightweight design and thermal protection of hypersonic vehicles.Triply periodic minimal surface(TPMS)is especially suitable for the structural design of the internal cavity of regenerative cooling structures owing to its excellent structural characteristics.In this study,test pieces were manufactured using Ti6Al4V lightweight material.We designed three types of porous test pieces,and the interior was filled with a TPMS lattice(Gyroid,Primitive,I-WP)with a porosity of 30%.All porous test pieces were manufactured via selective laser melting technology.A combination of experiments and finite element simulations were performed to study the selection of the internal cavity structure of the regenerative cooling thermal protection system.Hence,the relationship between the geometry and mechanical properties of a unit cell is established,and the deformation mechanism of the porous unit cell is clarified.Among the three types of porous test pieces,the weight of the test piece filled with the Gyroid unit cell was reduced by 8.21%,the average tensile strength was reduced by 17.7%compared to the solid test piece,while the average tensile strength of the Primitive and I-WP porous test pieces were decreased by 30.5%and 33.3%,respectively.Compared with the other two types of unit cells,Gyroid exhibited better mechanical conductivity characteristics.Its deformation process was characterised by stretching,shearing,and twisting,while the Primitive and I-WP unit cells underwent tensile deformation and tensile and shear deformation,respectively.The finite element predictions in the study agree well with the experimental results.The results can provide a basis for the design of regenerative cooling thermal protection system.

Editorial: Special subject on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures

The thermal protection materials and structures are widely used in hypersonic vehicles for the purpose of thermal insulation, and their mechanical behavior is one of the key issues in design and manufacture of hypersonic vehicles. It is our great pleasure to present the seven papers in this special subject of Theoretical ＆ Applied Mechanics Letters （TAML） and introduce the recent progresses on the mechanical behavior of thermal protection materials and structures by the authors.

Influence of silane on corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy AZ31 with thermally sprayed aluminum coatings

Aluminum coatings on Mg alloy AZ31 were fabricated using the thermal spraying technique, and then sealed with silane.The surface morphology and chemical groups were discerned using scanning electron microscopy and examined using Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, respectively.The salt fog tests and the potentiodynamic electrochemical technique were applied to evaluate the influence of silane on corrosion of the AZ31 alloy with aluminum coatings.The results showed that the corrosion resistance of the aluminum-coated AZ31 alloy was superior to that of the substrate.The aluminum coating sealed with various silane layers led to a further increase in the corrosion resistance of the alloy.Double silane layers were more corrosion-resistant than the single one.Also, it was no longer significant for more than two silane layers to improve the corrosion resistance.It implied that the optimum choice for silane treatment on the aluminum coatings was two layers.

Porous Ultra-high Temperature Ceramics for Ultra-high Temperature Thermal Protection System

Ultra-high temperature ceramics(UHTCs)are a family of borides,carbides and nitrides of transition elements such as hafnium,zirconium,tantalum and niobium.They exhibit the highest known melting points,good mechanical strength,good chemical and thermal stability under certain conditions.In last decade,researchers dedicated to characterize porous UHTCs aiming to develop novel thermal insulating materials that could withstand temperatures over 2000℃.In this article,the preparation and characteristics of porous UHTCs were reviewed.Dry processing,colloidal processing and solution processing routes have been used to prepare porous UHTCs with porosities ranging from 5%to 97%and pore sizes ranging from hundreds of nanometers to hundreds of micrometers.The obtained porous UHTCs are chemically and dimensionally stable at temperatures up to 2000℃ during static state high-temperature thermal aging.

Comparison of Thermo-Structural Responses for Integrated Thermal Protection Panels with Different Corrugated Core Configurations

To explore new light-weight integrated thermal protection system panel configuration and gain good insight into the responses mechanism,heat transfer and structural field analysis for one single-layer and four double-layer corrugated core panels were performed. The obtained the temperature,buckling,stress and deflection responses were compared,and the deflection and stress distributions as well as thermal buckling mode at the time were discussed for the considered configurations when the temperature difference between the top and bottom face sheet was maximum. The results demonstrated that the non-orthogonal and hat-stiffened double-layer structures provide superior performance to resist thermal buckling deformation in comparison with other configurations. The useful information is provided for the forthcoming optimization in which thermal buckling is considered as critical design driver.

Thermal Investigation for Solid Rocket Motor Nozzle Inserts Material

A time-resolved numerical computational approach, involving the combustion of double-base propellant is performed on thermal protection material for SRM nozzle. An implicit Navier-Stokes Solver is selected to simulate two-dimensional axial-symmetric unsteady turbulent flow of compressible fluid. The governing equations are discredited by using the finite Volume method. S-A turbulence model is employed. CFD scheme is implemented to investigate the temperature distribution causes at nozzle throat inserts composite material. Different parameters have been selected for the analysis to validate the temperature variation in the throat inserts and baking material of SRM nozzle. The advanced SRM nozzle composite material is also characterized for the high thermo stability and high thermo mechanical capabilities to make it more reliable, simpler and lighter.

Multi-scale collaborative design method for macroscopic thermal optimization and mesoscopic woven structure of hypersonic vehicle's TOCMC leading edge

A new thermal protection design method for hypersonic vehicle's leading edge is proposed, which can effectively reduce temperature of the leading edge without additional cooling measures. This method reduces the leading-edge's temperature by the multi-scale collaborative design of the macroscopic thermal optimization and the mesoscopic woven structures of Three-dimensional Orthogonal Woven Ceramic Matrix Composites(TOCMC). The macroscopic thermal optimization is achieved by designing different mesoscopic woven structures in different regions to create combined heat transfer channels to dredge the heat. The combined heat transfer channel is macroscopically represented by the anisotropic thermal conductivity of TOCMC. The thermal optimization multiple linear regression model is established to optimize the heat transport channel, which predicts Theoretical Optimal Thermal Conductivity Configuration(TOTCC) in different regions to achieve the lowest leading-edge temperature. The function-oriented mesostructure design method is invented to design the corresponding mesostructure of TOCMC according to the TOTCC, which consists of universal thermal conductivity prediction formulas for TOCMC. These universal formulas are firstly derived based on the thermal resistance network method, which is verified by experiments with an error of 6.25%. The results show that the collaborative design method can effectively reduce the leading edge temperature by about 12.8% without adding cooling measures.

A novel predictive braking energy recovery strategy for electric vehicles considering motor thermal protection

Braking energy recovery(BER)aims to recover the vehicle's kinetic energy by coordinating the motor and mechanical braking torque to extend the driving range of the electric vehicle(EV).To achieve this goal,the motor/generator mode requires frequent switching and prolonged operation during driving.In this case,the motor temperature will unavoidably rise,potentially triggering motor thermal protection(MTP).Activating MTP increases the risk of motor component failure,and the EV typically disables the BER function.Thus,maximizing BER while reducing the risk of motor overheating is a challenging problem.To address this issue,this article proposes a predictive BER strategy with MTP using the non-smooth Pontryagin Minimum Principle(NSPMP)for EVs.Firstly,a Markov long short-term memory(MLSTM)model is designed to obtain future velocity information.Secondly,the BER problem with MTP in the studied EV is embedded in a model predictive control(MPC)framework.Then,under the MPC framework,the NSPMP strategy is proposed to resolve the problem of MTP.Finally,the performance of the proposed strategy is verified through simulation and a hardware-in-loop test.The results show that in two real-world driving cycles,compared to the rule-based strategy,the proposed strategy reduced power consumption by 1.24%and0.96%,respectively,and effectively limited motor temperature.Additionally,under global cycle conditions,this strategy demonstrated better MTP control performance compared to other benchmark strategies.

Numerical simulation of gap effect in supersonic flows

The gap effect is a key factor in the design of the heat sealing in super- sonic vehicles subjected to an aerodynamic heat load. Built on S-A turbulence model and Roe discrete format, the aerodynamic environment around a gap on the surface of a supersonic aircraft was simulated by the finite volume method. As the presented results indicate, the gap effect depends not only on the attack angle, but also on the Mach number.