Cryogenic Moisture Uptake in Foam Insulation for Space Launch Vehicles | Zendy

James E. Fesmire | Zendy; Brekke E. Coffman | Zendy; Jared Sass | Zendy; Martha Williams | Zendy; Trent M. Smith | Zendy; B. J. Meneghelli | Zendy

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Cryogenic Moisture Uptake in Foam Insulation for Space Launch Vehicles

Author(s) -

James E. Fesmire,

Brekke E. Coffman,

Jared Sass,

Martha Williams,

Trent M. Smith,

B. J. Meneghelli

Publication year - 2012

Publication title -

journal of spacecraft and rockets

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.758

H-Index - 79

eISSN - 1533-6794

pISSN - 0022-4650

DOI - 10.2514/1.43776

Subject(s) - spacecraft , aerospace engineering , missile , space (punctuation) , spacecraft design , systems engineering , space shuttle , space exploration , space vehicle , propellant , aerospace , space program , thermal insulation , space suit , mechanical engineering , engineering , computer science , materials science , nanotechnology , operating system , layer (electronics)

Rigid polyurethane foams and rigid polyisocyanurate foams (spray-on foam insulation), like those flown on Shuttle, Delta IV, and will be flown on Ares-I and Ares-V, can gain an extraordinary amount of water when under cryogenic conditions for several hours. These foams, when exposed for eight hours to launch pad environments on one side and cryogenic temperature on the other, increase their weight from 35 to 80 percent depending on the duration of weathering or aging. This effect translates into several thousand pounds of additional weight for space vehicles at lift-off. A new cryogenic moisture uptake apparatus was designed to determine the amount of water/ice taken into the specimen under actual-use propellant loading conditions. This experimental study included the measurement of the amount of moisture uptake within different foam materials. Results of testing using both aged specimens and weathered specimens are presented. To better understand cryogenic foam insulation performance, cryogenic moisture testing is shown to be essential. The implications for future launch vehicle thermal protection system design and flight performance are discussed.

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