Femtosecond Two-Photon Absorption Laser-Induced Fluorescence for the AHWT-II Plasma Wind Tunnel
Abstract
The University of Texas at Arlington houses a unique combination, in the academic panorama, of experimental facilities dedicated to fundamental research with focus on relevant aspects of low speed, high-speed, high-enthalpy flows, and high-temperature gas/surface interaction. In particular, the Aerodynamics Research Center was awarded a grant by the Office of NavalResearch and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop, based on the previous 1.6MW Arc-Heated Wind Tunnel (AHWT) system, a national-level research facility for high temperature materials development and characterization in support of DoD programs on ultra-high temperature materials for hypersonic technologies. The only university-operated, large-scale, archeatedwind tunnel in the country capable of high-impact pressures and high-shear.For more than 40 years, arc-jet testing has served as primary basis for characterizing Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) in support of material development and response model validation. AHWT facilities provide the only ground-based means of simulating hypersonic heating rates (entry, re-entry, hypersonic cruise) in a reacting flow environment under flight-relevant durations.Arc-jet testing provides data for detail material response models that can reduce uncertainty and the magnitude of thickness margins. Arc-jets are also essential to investigate mechanical failure modes including erosion, spallation, and losses related to shear effects. The ability to perform accurate experiments using AHWT is tightly coupled with the necessity of a careful characterization of the resulting plasma flow. The high uncertainties associated with this class of flows strongly impact the development of new TPS as well as the progress in the fundamental understanding of gas-surface interaction phenomena. The flow characterization in representative conditions (including thermochemicalnon-equilibrium), and the use advanced diagnostic tools to study the chemistry and physics of the boundary layer is of primary importance and the subject of this proposal request. This proposal describes the game-changing opportunity to incorporate a femtosecond Two-Photon Absorption Laser-Induced Fluorescence (fs-TALIF) system to the newly developed facility in support of current and future fundamental research activities and to augment to an unprecedented level the research infrastructures pairing state-of-the-art non-intrusive diagnostic capabilities to the unique experimental platform. With the proposed upgrades, the new arc-heated wind tunnel will constitute a national asset and a unique platform in support of the Department of Defense programson aerothermodynamics and ultra-high temperature materials for hypersonic technologies. Participating students will be able to gain unique scientific and technical expertise in associated disciplines relevant to the DOD.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 25, 2019
- Source ID
- N000141912272
Entities
People
- Luca Maddalena
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Texas at Arlington