High-Temperature Arc Jet Testing in Hypersonic Wind Tunnels
Project name: Wind Tunnel Testing Case Study: High-Temperature Arc Jet Facility Applications
Test Facilities:
Hypersonic Arc Wind Tunnel (Mach 8-12)
Plasma Arc Jet (3000K+ Surface Heating)
Combustion-Heated Shock Tunnel
1. Extreme Testing Challenges
1.1 Ultra-High EMI Environment
Electrical Parameters:
Arc current: 8,000-15,000A DC (vs. typical 1A lab circuits)
Magnetic field intensity: ≥500Gauss at 1m distance
Equivalent RF noise: 150dBμV/m (30MHz-1GHz)
1.2 Harsh Physical Conditions
| Parameter | Value | Comparison Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Surface Heat Flux | 5MW/m² | Space shuttle re-entry (1MW/m²) |
| Test Duration | 30-120ms | Requires μs-level sampling |
| Vibration | 200g RMS | MIL-STD-810G limit: 18g |
2. Customized Test Solutions
2.1 DE-9000MX Military-Grade System
EMI Protection:
Triple-shielded cables (Cu-Ni-Fe composite)
Fiber-optic signal transmission (100% galvanic isolation)
Key Specifications:
256 channels @ 10MS/s aggregate
32-bit ADC with 160dB dynamic range
2.2 Special Sensor Configurations
| Sensor Type | Application | Survivability Features |
|---|---|---|
| Cobalt-based RTD | 3000K surface temp | Sapphire protective sheath |
| Piezoelectric Xducer | Shock wave detection | Water-cooled mounting |
| Diamond Strain Gauge | Hypersonic flow | 0.1με resolution @ 2000Hz |
3. Breakthrough Testing Capabilities
3.1 Hypersonic Vehicle Validation
Captured boundary layer transition at Mach 10 (data rate: 5MHz)
Measured ablative material recession with 10μm accuracy
3.2 Interference Mitigation Results
| Interference Source | Noise Level | DE System Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 10kA Arc Current | 300mVpp | <5mVpp residual noise |
| Plasma RF Emission | 140dB | 62dB suppression |
4. Military Applications
Stealth Coating Tests: Verified radar-absorbent material performance under plasma sheath conditions
Hypersonic Weapon Development: Provided critical heat transfer data for waverider designs
Reentry Vehicle Analysis: Validated thermal protection system integrity
Technical Achievement:
First successful μs-timescale measurements in >8000A arc environment
Established GJB 7862-2022 test standard for plasma wind tunnels
