Development of polymer composite materials and structures with their subsequent utilization after the mission

Abstract

The article considers the transfer of utilization technologies for detachable elements of the launch vehicle (LV) structures during the launch at the powered phase after their detachment at the unpowered phase of the descent trajectory to the utilization of tanks for fuel and lubrication materials (FLM) delivered to outlying regions of the Arctic. Opposed to detachable LV structures, utilization of FLM tanks is carried out under ground conditions by burning fuel elements prepared from FLM tank structures in conventional boilers and domestic heating furnaces. The research task has been set considering the possibility of implementing the requirements in the design and construction of polymeric composite material (PCM) to manufacture combustible tanks for the FLM storage. The requirements have been formulated for the production stages of combustible PCM and utilization system including the definition of design and construction parameters of PCM. The results of preliminary experimental studies in terms of determining the combustibility of the proposed PCM and their strength characteristics have shown the possibility of developing combustible structures.

Experimental studies of thermodynamic combustion processes of combustible demonstrators

“…Development of recyclable after fulfillment of its mission designs of items and their elements is currently an important and urgent task aimed at reducing the negative impact on the environment [1,2]. Below we consider the utilization stage, which is the last stage of the product life cycle, by incineration of a separate class of items, such as separating parts of launch vehicles, in particular the payload fairing (PF).…”

“…The studies of combustion of individual structural elements of launch vehicle parts, containers for petroleum products made of combustible materials revealed a number of problems associated with the materials used to make these elements [1,4,5]. In particular, experimental studies of the carbon fiber cladding element used on the PF found that under uniform thermal loading, when the temperature of ⁓ 4000C is reached, burnout of the epoxy binder in the sample is observed, and when ~ 12000C is reached, the carbon fibers of the sample are completely charred and the burnt sample almost completely loses its mass [5].…”