Structural efficiency of a stitched integrated thermal protection system with thermal protection/insulation and load-bearing capacity

A stitched integrated thermal protection system (SITPS) has thermal protection/insulation and load-bearing capacity. According to the thermal protection/insulation, loading-bearing, and lightweight requirements, the SITPS has multiple characterizations and optimization parameters. So, it is essential to calculate its thermal and mechanical performance indexes in specific working environments to evaluate its structural efficiency. SITPS contains different components and spans multiple dimensions; therefore, multiscale models and hierarchical statistical methods are tailored to calculate the thermal and mechanical properties of the SITPS. This approach investigates the influences of the two critical structural parameters, stitching density and thermal insulation core thickness, on four key performance indicators of the SITPS. A structural efficiency indicator for the SITPS is proposed, which quantitatively characterizes the thermal insulation, load-bearing, and lightweight performance of the SITPS. It provides new insights into the structural design and optimization of the SITPS in its engineering applications.