Course Description
Learn the fundamentals and apply them to hypersonic applications
This course will include a brief history of hypersonic flight and design, along with a description of the aerothermal environment, to provide motivation for the use of ceramic materials as thermal protection systems (TPS) and window materials. The approach is to develop an understanding of materials structure, forming (including an introduction to additive manufacturing of ceramics) and sintering, and properties (mechanical and thermal) of ceramics, and then apply that knowledge for hypersonic applications. TPS such as ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs including ZrB2), ceramic matrix composites (including Cf/SiC, SiCf/SiC, UHTCMCs), and Carbon/Carbon, along with ablatives and RF and IR window materials will be covered. The course is designed for technical people who would like to learn more about the hypersonic materials problem. It is a survey course in essence, covering a broad content of material. Attendees are given access to the 360-page course notes (PDF format).
The four-lecture course will cover the topics below:
- Module 1 History of hypersonic flight and design (45 mins)
- Module 2 Hypersonic aerothermodynamics (2 hrs)
- Module 3 Colloidal Processing, Shaping Methods, and Sintering of UHTCs (2.5 hrs)
- Module 4 Introduction to Mechanical Properties of Ceramics (1 hr)
- Module 5 Thermal properties of ceramics (1 hr)
- Module 6 Applications of Thermal and Mechanical Properties (1 hr)
- Module 7 Materials for RF and IR performance (1 hr)
- Module 8 Composites including carbon/carbon and ceramic matrix composites and their manufacture (2 hr)
- Module 9 Materials for Radiative Cooling (30 mins)
Please note: This course is an expanded version of the Virtual Hypersonic Workshop from January and June of 2025. Course notes will be made available electronically without the ability to download or print. This is a Distribution A event.
Course Format
9 modules | 12 hours of instruction total
Registration Pricing
- Non-member pricing: $695
- Member pricing: $595
Professor Rodney Trice
Professor Rodney Trice is a faculty member in the School of Materials Engineering at Purdue. He is currently investigating the following hypersonic materials related topics: high-temperature high-emissivity coatings for carbon/carbon composites, hypersonic IR and RF windows, direct ink write of SiC short fiber/SiC composites, digital light projection of UHTCs and RF window materials, novel energy absorbing ceramic for RDEs, direct ink write of RDE CMCs, and morphing structural ceramics. His current research is supported by industrial sources, NAVSEA, ONR, AFOSR, AFRL, and various industrial sources. This short course has been taught on military bases and at national conferences.
