Optimal design of three-dimensional thermal protection structure considering orthotropic properties of woven composites based on Micro-CT image

The optimal design of a three-dimensional thermal protection structure is urgent for the current hypersonic vehicles. A designed gradient woven material composed of fabric and resin is proposed, thus meeting the lightweight requirements of an advanced thermal protection system. A prediction method based on micro-CT image is established for obtaining the anisotropic thermophysical properties. After validation of the improved models, the deterministic optimization with a kriging surrogate model for the lightweight of the thermal protection structure is implemented. The results show that the prediction method based on micro-CT can accurately provide the anisotropic properties of woven material in simulation for response of thermal protection structure. The heatshield made of woven material with anisotropic thermophysical properties offers better thermal insulation than that made of isotropic material. The optimized thermal protection structure shows a mass reduction of 14.1% at the stagnation point, 14.8% at the flank region, and 15.3% at the edge.