| Scope |
Hypersonic vehicles rely on advanced materials and integrated architectures capable of surviving the extreme aerodynamic and aerothermal conditions present in both external flow structures (e.g., airframes, leading edges, heat shields) and internal flow structures (e.g., scramjet combustors, propulsion nozzles, and cooling channels). These extreme environments subject components to severe thermomechanical stresses and deformation at temperatures exceeding 2000 °C and heat fluxes ranging from 400 W/cm² to over 1000 W/cm² for leading edges.
To withstand these conditions, candidate materials must exhibit exceptional phase stability, high strength, and resistance to oxidation, creep, fatigue, and intense thermal or cyclic shock. This is particularly critical within advanced air-breathing propulsion systems, such as scramjets and Rotating Detonation Engines (RDEs), where internal flow paths must endure sustained high-pressure and high-velocity combustion. While their application fields are highly specialized, advanced material classes—including Ultra-High-Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs), Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), refractory high-entropy alloys, and functional oxides—offer promising structural solutions. Because in-situ observation of these extreme internal and external flow environments is often unfeasible, computational simulations are critical to bridging experimental gaps and interpreting physical data. Advancing current materials and developing new functional composites requires a coupled approach, combining multi-physics simulations with experimental testing across various length scales, temperatures, and strain rates.
Symposium Objective
This symposium aims to promote presentations and discussions bridging advanced materials development, fabrication, and manufacturability with integrated vehicle-level design and thermostructural sciences. We seek to explore innovative methodologies for designing next-generation systems, with a specific focus on materials and architectures tailored to external aeroshells as well as internal flow paths for advanced air-breathing engines.
We invite abstract submissions across the following thematic areas, ranging from the component level to full multi-physics vehicle integration:
Core Theme
Specific Focus & Subtopics
Integrated Vehicle Design & Systems
Vehicle designs, performance, trades, and mission applications; systems integration, subsystem design, and demonstrative case studies for high-speed systems.
Material Development & Manufacturability
Advancements in manufacturing technologies for extreme aerothermal environments. Content on additive manufacturing applicable to scramjets is particularly encouraged. Discussions of novel materials should reference intended use cases, integration challenges into structural systems, and anticipated thermal/mechanical loading.
Multi-Physics Analysis & FTSI
Numerical frameworks and experiments for compliant structures under extreme aerothermal and aeromechanical loads. Focus on Fluid Thermal Structural Interaction (FTSI), thermal pathways, and mitigation at the vehicle level. Specific focus is requested on how multi-physics interactions impact vehicle trajectory, maximum/sustainable Mach, range, and thrust.
High-Temperature Testing & Extreme Environments
Innovative modeling, analysis, and testing techniques. Of specific interest are non-contacting, full-field data acquisition techniques for generating validation-quality datasets in laboratory settings, ground test facilities, and flight test vehicles.
Structural Mechanics & Service Life
Modeling, analysis, and empirical studies on structural service life, high- and low-cycle fatigue, damage, crack initiation, and crack growth.
Simulations & Modeling
Accelerated alloy and composite development utilizing CALPHAD, crystal plasticity, phase-field, and atomistic methods.
Material Degradation & CMCs
Corrosion, oxidation, ablation, and wear within high-pressure internal combustion environments or external friction environments. Advanced processing and testing of CMCs and monolithic ceramics.
Advanced Characterization
In-situ techniques and 3D characterization (electron microscopy, high-energy X-ray diffraction, tomography, EBSD). Understanding material behavior at IR and RF frequencies in extreme kinetic environments.
Integrated Vehicle Design & Systems
Vehicle designs, performance, trades, and mission applications; systems integration, subsystem design, and demonstrative case studies for high-speed systems. |