Thermal protection mechanism of heat pipe in leading edge under hypersonic conditions

Sharp local structure, like the leading edge of hypersonic aircraft, confronts a severe aerodynamic heating environment at a Mach number greater than 5. To eliminate the danger of a material failure, a semi-active thermal protection system is proposed by integrating a metallic heat pipe into the structure of the leading edge. An analytical heat-balance model is established from traditional aerodynamic theories, and then thermal and mechanical characteristics of the structure are studied at Mach number 6–8 for three refractory alloys, Inconel 625, C-103, and T-111. The feasibility of this simple analytical method as an initial design tool for hypersonic aircraft is assessed through numerical simulations using a finite element method. The results indicate that both the isothermal and the maximum temperatures fall but the von Mises stress increases with a longer design length of the leading edge. These two temperatures and the stress rise remarkably at a higher Mach number. Under all investigated hypersonic conditions, with a 3 mm leading edge radius and a 0.15 m design length, the maximum stress exceeds the yield strength of Inconel 625 at Mach numbers greater than 6, which means a material failure. Moreover, both C-103 and T-111 meet all requirements at Mach number 6–8.