NONINTERFERENCE VELOCITY MEASUREMENTS IN A SUPERSONIC SEEDED PLASMA USING TRACERS PRODUCED BY A SPARK DISCHARGE AND A FOCUSED PULSED LASER

Abstract

Experimental results are presented from a program conducted to develop a noninterference method for obtaining the velocity of a supersonic, high enthalpy plasma seeded with an alkali metal. The technique used was the time-of-flight measurement of a tracer spark produced in the plasma by an electric spark discharge (two pointed electrodes) and by a focused pulse laser. The tracer spark was photographed with a streak and framing camera or an image- converter camera at preselected delay times to obtain the time-of-flight velocity measurements. The experimental work was accomplished in air and nitrogen plasmas, at a static pressure of about 1 atm and at total enthalpies up to 2700 Btu/lb. Velocities were measured up to 2600 m/sec. The techniques used are described, and the problems and results are discussed.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1968
Accession Number
AD0678521

Entities

People

  • J. C. Pigott
  • L. E. Rittenhouse

Organizations

  • Arnold Engineering Development Complex

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Alkali Metals
  • Cameras
  • Converters
  • Electric Arcs
  • Electrodes
  • Image Converters
  • Images
  • Laser Beams
  • Lasers
  • Mach Number
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Measurement
  • Photographs
  • Power Supplies
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Static Pressure

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Plasma Physics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow