SBIR-STTR Award

Affordable and low-risk leading edge solutions are preferred for expendable hypersonic vehicles with military utility. GoHypersonic Inc. (GHI) proposes to build upon their existing vehicle designs by tailoring the internal geometry of conformal and planar leading edges to control conduction into the airframe and reduce thermal deformation of the leading edge hardware. This will improve the current maximum flight speed and duration of a high TRL, lower cost, metallic solution which has previously been designed with conventional manufacturing methods in mind. GHI intends to leverage recent advancements in additive manufacturing to create affordable sophisticated leading edge geometry. The Phase I program will refine the design and narrow the design space set forth by current additive manufacturing capabilities and a Phase II program will include manufacturing a leading edge assembly for a hypersonic vehicle and testing it at representative flight loads to demonstrate a TRL 6 solution. This Program addresses the Hypersonic Focus Area (FA-009) specific needs of: 1) thermal structures integration technology (leading edge design and attachment), 2) manufacturing technology (additive manufacturing), and 3) methods to increase aerodynamic efficiency and reduce drag (sharp leading edge with minimal thermal deflection and reduced aerodynamic uncertainty).

America's warfighter needs hypersonic technology that works now. The primary challenge that arises with metallic hypersonic vehicle Leading Edge (LE) design is managing the severe aerothermal loading in high-speed (Mach 5-6+) flight. Current high-speed solutions are expensive, low TRL, and long lead. Proposed here, GHI will design internal geometry for metallic LE designs using topology optimization and produce hardware using additive manufacturing that tailors conduction paths and manages thermal stress. The hardware will be inspected via radiographic techniques to determine manufacturing process validity and tested in the AFRL LEEF Test Facility to verify thermal-structural performance. The results of a successful program will be affordable, low lead-time, low-risk metallic LE solutions enabling commercial and defense vehicles to fly at Mach 5-6+. The knowledge gained in the design and testing activities will be leveraged to design and manufacture an air-breathing inlet and a control fin with advanced LEs. Hardware assembly test plans will be developed with the goal of test execution after a Phase III transition occurs. GHI has the experience, personnel, and tools to successfully complete this Phase II, transition the technology to a flight test in Phase III, and bring the technology to market to support the warfighter.