­Sustainable space travel: TU Dresden (TUD) graduate Raphaela Günther receives Leo Schörghuber Prize

Raphaela Günther, a mechanical engineering graduate from TU Dresden, was awarded the 3,000 euro Leo Schörghuber Prize¹ for her thesis on "Lignocellulose fin leading edge materials for sounding rockets". Her thesis deals with the use of wood fibre materials as a heat-resistant coating for the stabilization surfaces of rockets.

Disposable components are often used in space travel, which are jettisoned after use and fall back to earth in an uncontrolled manner. It is often not possible to salvage these components due to the high time and financial costs involved. This results in large quantities of waste products that end up in the oceans and on the earth. Wood-based materials could act as an alternative due to their biodegradability. However, they must be able to withstand demanding conditions.

© DLR

In particular, the leading edges of the stabilization surfaces of the rockets are exposed to extreme thermal and mechanical loads. In the course of her research work, the graduate examined native wood species and two wood fiber-based materials developed at the TUD in the arc-heated wind tunnel L2K of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). In this way, she was able to identify the material "TPSea" as a material with optimal dimensional stability and suitable thermal behavior.

© H. Unbehaun

In her ongoing interdisciplinary doctorate at the Chair of Space Systems and the Chair of Wood Technology and Fiber Materials Technology at TUD, Günther is continuing her research by optimizing wood fiber-based materials and testing them as a thermal protection material for rockets. Ideally, the young scientist would like to develop the material to such an extent that it can also absorb high mechanical loads and replace underlying structures.

The results to date also open up potential applications for less stressed components and can be transferred to other industries with high thermal material loads. Günther's research is aimed at sustainable development and shaping the bioeconomy in the aerospace industry. The aim of the dissertation is to bring natural materials such as wood-based materials back into the focus of technological development and innovation.

Contact:

Raphaela Günther
TU Dresden

Chair of Space Systems
Chair of Wood Technology and Fiber Materials Technology
Phone: 0351-463 40730

Mail:

¹ The Leo Schörghuber Prize is awarded for outstanding dissertations, master's or bachelor's theses in the field of wood research