Design of Thermocouple Probes for Measurement of Rocket Exhaust Plume Temperatures

Abstract

This paper summarises a literature survey on high temperature measurement and describes the design of probes used in plume measurements. There were no cases reported of measurements in extreme environments such as exist in solid rocket exhausts, but there were a number of thermocouple designs which had been used under less extreme conditions and which could be further developed. Tungsten-rhenium(W-Rh) thermocouples had the combined properties of strength at high temperatures, high thermoelectric emf, and resistance to chemical attack. A shielded probe was required, both to protect the thermocouple junction, and to minimise radiative heat losses. After some experimentation, a twin shielded design made from molybdenum gave acceptable results. Corrections for thermal conduction losses were made based on a method obtained from the literature. Radiation losses were minimised with this probe design, and corrections for these losses were too complex and unreliable to be included. Rocket Plume Temperature, Thermocouple, High Temperature.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1994
Accession Number
ADA285423

Entities

People

  • R. C. Warren

Organizations

  • Defence Science and Technology Group

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Conduction (Heat Transfer)
  • Exhaust Plumes
  • Extreme Environments
  • Gases
  • Heat Loss
  • Heat Transfer
  • Heat Transfer Coefficients
  • Literature Surveys
  • Mach Number
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Radiation
  • Refractory Metals
  • Rocket Exhaust
  • Thermal Conductivity

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.