Thermostructural Analysis of Unconventional Wing Structures of a Hyper-X Hypersonic Flight Research Vehicle for the Mach 7 Mission

Abstract

Heat transfer, thermal stresses, and thermal buckling analyses were performed on the unconventional wing structures of a Hyper-X hypersonic flight research vehicle (designated as X-43) subjected to nominal Mach 7 aerodynamic heating. A wing midspan cross section was selected for the heat transfer and thermal stress analyses. Thermal buckling analysis was performed on three regions of the wing skin (lower or upper); 1) a fore wing panel, 2) an aft wing panel, and 3) a unit panel at the middle of the aft wing panel. A fourth thermal buckling analysis was performed on a midspan wing segment. The unit panel region is identified as the potential thermal buckling initiation zone. Therefore, thermal buckling analysis of the Hyper-X wing panels could be reduced to the thermal buckling analysis of that unit panel. Buckling temperature magnification factors were established. Structural temperature-time histories are presented. The results show that the concerns of shear failure at wing and spar welded sites, and of thermal buckling of Hyper-X wing panels, may not arise under Mach 7 conditions.