Thermal Endurance Testing of Kevlar Fabric/Phenolic Sandwich Composite Protecting the Electronics of a Search and Rescue Robot

Abstract

Thermal endurance of sandwich panels made of a Kevlar fabric/phenolic composite material has been studied via flame tests. The panels are to be used for the protection of the electronic instruments of robots used for Urban Search and Rescue which are employed under severely adverse operational conditions. As such it is important to determine the time duration that the temperatures will remain at allowable levels inside the robot. These panels are required to be light and have low heat transfer capability. The results show that a combination of composite material design coupled with heat resistant coating provides sufficient insulation to maintain suitable working temperatures for the protected components.