Numerical Study of In-Depth Bursting Phenomena in Porous Thermal Protection Materials

Ensuring the performance of thermal protection systems (TPS) is critical for spacecraft safety during atmospheric entry. TPS materials typically consist of porous fiber structures impregnated with organic resins, which generate pyrolysis gases during ablation. These gases can rapidly accumulate within the porous matrix, increasing internal pressure and potentially causing material cracking. Trapped gas may burst from cracks, damaging the TPS materials and leading to failure. To investigate this, we developed a crack modeling framework integrated with a material response code to simulate the structural and thermal behaviors of TPS materials under extreme conditions. Our model demonstrates that internal pressure can rupture materials and create complex cracking patterns through the interplay of thermal stress, shear forces, and internal pressure. It effectively captures various failure modes, including char particle rupture, material peeling, and delamination, thereby enhancing the understanding of TPS behavior and supporting the development of more reliable thermal protection solutions for spacecraft.