On Mon, 3 Feb 2003, David Weinshenker wrote:
> How does overall mass-effectiveness of a solid ablator compare with that of
> a fluid-cooled "wet" shield? The solid one has the advantage that it's basically
> a static structural panel - it just has to be there, it doesn't require plumbing
> and accurate control of liquid flow.
It also doubles as insulation. The downside is that you get to worry a
fair bit about its mechanical properties; the incredibly tedious process
of filling honeycomb with little squirts of ablator was because the
ablator itself wasn't mechanically strong and might not stay put under
stress. And if memory serves, the heat capacity isn't nearly as good, per
kilogram, as water.
Henry Spencer
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________
ERPS-list mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://lists.erps.org/mailman/listinfo/erps-list
