This project addresses the development of refractory coated or lined low density structures applicable for advanced future propulsion system technologies. The fundamental idea behind this concept was to design a hot-walled refractory material (ceramic and/or metallic) in the form of a thin coating… More

As space exploration and hypersonic cruise technologies develop, the focus has shifted towards the development of lightweight, fully reusable and lower cost vehicles. The current state-of-the-art (SOA) is taking an incremental improvement step over the Space Shuttle TPS approach. All-ceramic matrix… More

As the operational demands of liquid rocket engines increases, so too does the need for improved design and manufacturing methods for metal-to-composite nozzle extensions. The state of the art utilizes non-domestic composite materials for nozzle extensions. Although this solution does offer weight… More

Existing Navy aircraft create significant design challenges because aerodynamics require complex shaped contours, while structural efficiency leads to lightweight, strong composite sandwiches for load bearing components. The structures employ high strength graphite/epoxy face sheets over honeycomb… More

The goal of the testing is to develop and life prediction theories which describe the structural re-sponse in CMCs with delaminations emanating from manufacturing imperfections. Much work have been done studying the effects of defects in CMCs particularly in the area of porosity, but no one has… More

Materials Research & Design, Inc (MR & D) is pleased to submit this Phase I SBIR proposal for the design, fabrication, and ballistic testing of a lightweight armor system for use on the Marine Corps Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). The proposed armor employs thin, lightweight modular… More

The Navy"s Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) employs ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) in certain critical components like the flaps and seals of the engine exhaust nozzle. The CMC flaps and seals are attached to movable metal frames that can be actuated to vary the nozzle"s throat di-ameter and… More

A combined fabrication and experimentation program, coupled with mathematical simulation of impact events to enable improved FOD resistant HiPerCompTM designs, is proposed here. The CMC's associated with this program are the General Electric Company HiPerComp SiC/SiC material system. Extensive… More

The US Navy is developing an electromagnetic rail gun (EMRG) that can fire inert pro-jectiles with a mass of over 16 kg to a range of 200 nautical miles. The lethality of the weapon is based upon the kinetic energy of the projectile, which will strike the target at a velocity of 1.5 km/sec. The… More

In order for carbon-carbon nozzle extensions and exit cones to serve as practical, low cost components for future Earth-to-Orbit propulsion systems, it is necessary to develop alternative fabrication methods coupled with proven design and analysis tools. Two-dimensional (2D) C-C components are… More