Advanced strategic interceptor composite structures
- Army Strategic Defense Command, Huntsville, AL (United States)
- Teledyne Brown Engineering, Huntsville, AL (United States). Aero/Physics Dept.
Launch mass reduction, stiffness increase, and primary bending mode frequency increase remain the prime focus of the US Army Strategic Defense Command (USASDC) advanced composite material development and testing program. The initial activity was directed toward fabrication of a demonstration structure consistent with the Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) ERIS flight design. The objectives of this phase of the work were three-fold: selection of the optimum composite materials; concurrent bonding and joining technology development; evaluation of the performance of each test structure relative to its metal counterpart and relative to alternative composites. The effort exceeded model predictions. The resin matrix composite structure mass was 52% lower than the metal design. Modal testing demonstrated a 200% increase in stiffness and a 41% gain in first mode bending frequency. Given the demonstrated level of success, an additional element was added to the task focus: cost-effective, mass quantity fabrication techniques. Single step technology has been successfully applied to a relatively simple thermoset based bridge structure. Two step molding and assembly have been demonstrated for a GBI-X class thermoplastic structure. Preliminary testing has been completed to isolate and resolve problems associated with single step fabrication of the more complex GBI-X class structure. Fabrication of an appropriate test article as preparation for modal survey evaluation of the latter is in progress. Results are presented. Future program directions are summarized.
- OSTI ID:
- 143172
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-930246-; ISBN 0-87339-251-5; TRN: IM9413%%32
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Advanced composites `93: international conference on advanced composite materials (ICACM), Wollongong (Australia), 15-19 Feb 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Advanced composites 1993; Chandra, T. [ed.] [Univ. of Wollongong (Australia)]; Dhingra, A.K. [ed.] [DuPont, Wilmington, DE (United States)]; PB: 1464 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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