Integrated insulation wall assembly

Claim 2

An integrated insulation wall assembly, comprising: a. means for providing a fire barrier for said wall assembly, with this means including a first wall component made of ablative composite material bonded by ablative matrix material and having an external surface, and an internal surface which functions as the internal surface of said wall assembly; b. means for providing thermal insulation for said wall assembly, with this means including a second wall component made of non-metallic honeycomb core material and having an external surface, and an internal surface in contact with and joined to said external surface of said fire barrier providing means; and c. means for providing structural stability to said thermal insulation providing means, with said structural stability providing means including a third wall component made of a composite material and having an external surface, and an internal surface in contact with and joined to said external surface of said thermal insulation providing means, and with said external surface of said structural stability providing means functioning as the external surface of said wall assembly.

Claim 3

A integrated insulation wall assembly, as set forth in claim 1, wherein: a. said ablative composite material of said first wall component is selected from the group consisting of ceramic and carbon fibers; and b. said ablative matrix material of said first wall component is selected from the group consisting of phenolic resin material, polyimide resin material and any other suitable resin material.

Claim 4

An integrated insulation wall assembly, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said external surface of said first wall component and said internal surface of said second wall component are joined by a bond, and wherein said external surface of said second wall component and said internal surface of said third wall component are joined by a bond.

Claim 5

An integrated insulation wall assembly, as set forth in claim 3, wherein said third wall component has an opening therein and therethrough, and said second wall component has a void therein and therethrough adjacent to and across said opening in said third wall component, and said first wall component has an opening therein and therethrough adjacent to and across said void in said second wall component, and wherein said integrated wall assembly further comprises: a. a splice and reinforcement component which includes a first portion made of the same material as said third wall component and a second portion made of the same material as said second wall component, with said first and second portions joined in registration, and with said splice and reinforcement component disposed in said void in said second wall component, with said first portion positioned adjacent to and across said opening in said third wall component and with said second portion positioned adjacent to said opening in said first wall component, and also with said first portion joined to said third wall component and to said second wall component, and with said second portion joined to said second wall component; and b. a splice component, made of the same material as said first wall component, disposed in said opening in said first wall component, with said splice component joined to said first wall component, said second wall component, and said second portion of said splice and reinforcement component.

Claim 6

A solid rocket motor case assembly, comprising: a. a solid rocket motor case component having an inner flame side with a surface thereat, and an outer pressure side with a surface thereat, wherein said solid rocket motor case is made of material fabricated using layup construction methods; and b. an integrated insulation subassembly component disposed internally of said solid rocket motor case component and positioned in contact with, and joined to, said inner flame side surface of said solid rocket motor case component, wherein said insulation subassembly component includes: an innermost wall made of ablative composite material bonded by an ablative matrix material, wherein said innermost wall has an external surface, and an internal surface which functions as the internal surface of said integrated insulation subassembly component and serves as the flame side surface of said subassembly component; a middle wall made of non-metallic honeycomb core material, wherein said middle wall has an external surface, and an internal surface disposed in contact with and joined to said external surface of said innermost wall; and an outermost wall made of a composite material, wherein said outermost wall has an internal surface in contact with and joined to said external surface of said middle wall, and an external surface disposed in contact with and joined to said inner flame side surface of said solid rocket motor case component and thereby serves as the pressure side surface of said integrated insulation subassembly component; and thereby said innermost wall provides a fire barrier, said middle wall provides thermal insulation for said solid rocket motor case component, and said outermost wall provides structural stability to said middle wall, and also to said integrated insulation subassembly component as a whole.

Claim 7

A solid rocket motor case assembly, comprising: a. a solid rocket motor case component having an inner flame side with a surface thereat, and an outer pressure side with a surface thereat, wherein said solid rocket motor case is made of material fabricated using layup construction methods; and b. an integrated insulation subassembly component disposed internally of said solid rocket motor case component and positioned in contact with, and joined to, said inner flame side surface of said solid rocket motor case component, wherein said insulation subassembly component includes: an innermost wall made of ablative composite material bonded by an ablative matrix material, wherein said innermost wall has an external surface, and an internal surface which functions as the internal surface of said integrated insulation subassembly component and serves as the flame side surface of said subassembly component; a middle wall made of non-metallic honeycomb core material, wherein said middle wall has an external surface, and an internal surface disposed in contact with and joined to said external surface of said innermost wall; and an outermost wall made of a composite material, wherein said outermost wall has an internal surface in contact with and joined to said external surface of said middle wall, and an external surface disposed in contact with and joined to said inner flame side surface of said solid rocket motor case component and thereby serves as the pressure side surface of said integrated insulation subassembly component; and thereby said innermost wall provides a fire barrier, said middle wall provides thermal insulation for said solid rocket motor case component, and said outermost wall provides structural stability to said middle wall, and also to said integrated insulation subassembly component as a whole.

Claim 8

A solid rocket motor case assembly, as set forth in claim 5, wherein: a. said ablative composite material of said innermost wall of said insulation subassembly component is selected from the group consisting of ceramic and carbon fibers; and b. said ablative matrix material of said innermost wall of said insulation subassembly component is selected from the group consisting of phenolic resin material, polyimide resin material and any other suitable resin material.

Claim 9

A solid rocket motor case assembly, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said external surface of said innermost wall and said internal surface of said middle wall are joined by a bond, and wherein said external surface of said middle wall and said internal surface of said outermost wall are joined by a bond.

Claim 10

A solid rocket motor case assembly, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said outermost wall has an opening therein and therethrough, and said middle wall has a void therein and therethrough adjacent to and across said opening in said outermost wall, and said innermost wall has an opening therein and therethrough adjacent to and across said void in said middle wall, and wherein said integrated insulation subassembly component further includes: a. a splice and reinforcement component comprising a first portion made of the same material as said outermost wall and a second portion made of the same material as said middle wall, with said first and second portions joined in registration, and with said splice and reinforcement component disposed in said void in said middle wall with said first portion positioned adjacent to and across said opening in said outermost wall and with said second portion positioned adjacent to said opening in said innermost wall, and also with said first portion joined to said outermost wall and to said middle wall, and with said second portion joined to said middle wall; and b. a splice component, made of the same material as said innermost wall, disposed in said opening in said innermost wall, with said splice component joined to said innermost wall, said middle wall, and said second portion of said splice and reinforcement component.

Claim 11

A mandrel for filament-winding a solid rocket motor case, comprising: a. an outer wall component made of a composite material, and having an internal surface, and an external surface configured in a shape complementary to a preselected desired shape of the internal flame side surface of said solid rocket motor case; b. a middle wall component made of non-metallic honeycomb core material, and having an internal surface, and an external surface which is disposed in contact with and is joined to said internal surface of said outer wall component; and c. an inner wall component made of ablative composite material bonded by an ablative matrix material, having an external surface which is disposed in contact with and is joined to said internal surface of said middle wall component, and an internal surface which serves as the flame side surface of said mandrel; thereby said wall components are integrated, and said mandrel is a unified structure.

Claim 12

A mandrel for filament-winding a solid rocket motor case, comprising: a. an outer wall component made of a composite material, and having an internal surface, and an external surface configured in a shape complementary to a preselected desired shape of the internal flame side surface of said solid rocket motor case; b. a middle wall component made of non-metallic honeycomb core material, and having an internal surface, and an external surface which is disposed in contact with and is joined to said internal surface of said outer wall component; and c. an inner wall component made of ablative composite material bonded by an ablative matrix material, having an external surface which is disposed in contact with and is joined to said internal surface of said middle wall component, and an internal surface which serves as the flame side surface of said mandrel; thereby said wall components are integrated, and said mandrel is a unified structure.

Claim 13

A mandrel for filament-winding a solid rocket motor case, as set forth in claim 9, wherein: a. said ablative composite material of said inner wall component is selected from the group consisting of ceramic and carbon fibers; and b. said ablative matrix material of said inner wall component is selected from the group consisting of phenolic resin material polyimide resin material and any other suitable resin material.

Claim 14

A mandrel for filament-winding a solid rocket motor case, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said internal surface of said outer wall component and said external surface of said middle wall component are joined by a bond, and wherein said internal surface of said middle wall component and said external surface of said inner wall component are joined by a bond.

Claim 15

A mandrel for filament-winding a solid rocket motor case, as set forth in claim 11, wherein outer wall component has an opening therein and therethrough, and said middle wall component has a void therein and therethrough adjacent to and across said opening in said outer wall component, and said inner wall component has an opening therein and therethrough adjacent to and across said void in said middle wall component, and wherein said mandrel further comprises: a. a splice and reinforcement component which includes a first portion made of the same material as said outer wall component and a second portion made of the same material as said middle wall component, with said first and second portions joined in registration, and with said splice and reinforcement component disposed in said void in said middle wall component with said first portion positioned adjacent to and across said opening in said outer wall component and with said second portion positioned adjacent to said opening in said inner wall component, and also with said first portion joined to said outer wall component and to said middle wall component, and with said second portion joined to said middle wall component; and b. a splice component, made of the same material as said inner wall component, disposed in said opening in said inner wall component, with said splice component joined to said inner wall component, said middle wall component, and to said second portion of said splice and reinforcement component.