Design and Optimization of a Hypersonic Test Facility for Sub-Scale Testing

Abstract

The Rocket Propulsion and Combustion Laboratory at the Naval Postgraduate School was evaluated to determine if the currently installed systems could support the operation of a subscale hypersonic test stand. Trait analysis of existing lab support sub-systems was performed and an envelope of operation, defined by flight altitude and flight Mach number was determined. Calculations revealed that if the air supply volume was doubled to 160 ft(3), a hypersonic blow-down facility could generate conditions to perform testing in the dynamic pressure window of 500 to 2000 psf, from Mach 5 to 7.5 with a maximum system mass flow rate variation from 3 to 45 lbm/s. Additionally, a dynamic design process was outlined to assist other designers in producing similar test stands. Finally, a software analysis package was developed to analyze proposed changes in the support system architecture.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2003
Accession Number
ADA420606

Entities

People

  • Stephen R. O'kresik

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Supplies
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Dynamic Pressure
  • Flow
  • Flow Rate
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Mach Number
  • Mass Flow
  • Rocket Engines
  • Static Pressure
  • Supersonic Combustion Ramjet Engines
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Equipment
  • Test Facilities
  • Test Stands

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Software Engineering

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow