9360135 Lee Due to the effectiveness of fibrous materials in suppressing radiative energy transport, they are widely used for thermal insulation in many engineering systems, such as the space shuttle thermal protection tiles, liners of combustion engines, flexible heat shields in reentry vehicles, etc. Of particular interest is the fabric insulation which consists of fiber bundles woven into a matrix formation. The woven fabric is a high-strength composite particularly suited for applications at elevated temperatures. Continual improvement in the insulation capacity of fabric composites is needed in order to accommodate the increasingly severe thermal environments of future aerospace and combustion systems. The purpose of the proposed research is to develop analytical models for the design and performance optimization of fabric composites. Phase 1 focuses on the modeling and characterization of the radiative properties of the constituent fiber bundles, whereas the model for predicting radiative heat transfer will be developed in Phase 2. These models are powerful design tools which can be used to determine the composition, engineer the radiative properties, and optimize the thermal performance of fabric composites in a cost-effective manner.
