Testing of UHTC Samples in the VKI Plasmatron
Abstract
This report results from a contract tasking Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) as follows: The proposed activity involves testing of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramic (UHTC) material samples in the VKI Plasmatron, which is an Inductively-Coupled Plasma (ICP) facility. ICP facilities are electrondeless, so the plasma stream produced for material testing and characterization is of very high purity. The VKI Plasmatron has the largest installed power capability of this type of facility in the world. Test conditions are chosen such that the supersonic atmospheric (re-)entry boundary layer test conditions are replicated in the subsonic flow of the ICP stream. Total enthalpy, pitot pressure, and velocity gradient are the important parameters that are matched to ensure the test condition fidelity. Test condition requirements for the UHTC sample tests are heat flux of approximately 4 MW/squared. pressure of 5000 Pa. and surface temperatures on the order of 1800 C or greater. The actual conditions will be determined using a spare sample to verify the surface temperature. A pitot probe will be used to set the pressure condition and a water-cooled calorimetric probe will be used to measure the fully catalytic cold-wall heat flux, which will be used as the reference heat flux condition for the tests. The supplier of the samples for testing, and the PI for the investigation is Dr. Jochen Marschall of SRI.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 25, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA465271
Entities
People
- C. Asma
- Douglas G. Fletcher
- J. Thoemel
- Jochen Marschall
- P. Collin
Organizations
- von Kármán Institute for Fluid Dynamics