Abstract
We propose a new concept of design of heat- and impact-resistant tile covering for space shuttles based upon topological interlocking of tiles. The key features of this type of tiling are as follows: firstly, the tiles are kept in place by virtue of the geometry of their contacting surfaces alone, so that no binding agent needs to be used; secondly, failure of an individual element does not compromise the structural integrity of the tile assembly and, moreover, a failed tile will be kept in place by its neighbours, thus maintaining its thermal protection function; thirdly, topological interlocking removes the need for connectors or other stress concentrators deleterious in extreme conditions of space flight and re-entry. Topological interlocking is scale and material independent, which permits combining tiles made from different materials in any proportion.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 351-355 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Philosophical Magazine Letters |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Support from the Australian Research Council through the discovery grant DP0210574 (2002–2004) is acknowled ged . One of the authors (E.P.) acknowled ges financial support through an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship 2002–2003.
Funding
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Support from the Australian Research Council through the discovery grant DP0210574 (2002–2004) is acknowled ged . One of the authors (E.P.) acknowled ges financial support through an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship 2002–2003.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung | |
| Australian Research Council | DP0210574 |