Enabling Four-Dimensional Laser-Induced Fluorescence Measurements of Hypersonic Aerodynamic Phenomena
Abstract
Hypersonic flight is an emerging national priority with the potential to be a truly disruptive technology with an impact on defense, commercial aviation, and space access. Velocities faster than five times the speed of sound or Mach 5Ñroughly 4,000 miles per hourÑare generally considered to be hypersonic. This flight regime is significant for defense applications, as a rapid-response capability to hotspots and crisis points around the world is highly desirable. Hypersonic flight poses many technical and engineering challenges owing to the extreme flow velocities, temperatures, and pressure loads imposed on the vehicle system. In the hypersonic testing community, the spatial (< 1mm) and temporal (< 1µs) resolution demands of hypersonic flows further underscore the need for the development of advanced measurement techniques for use in high-speed wind tunnels. In the proposed effort, we plan to purchase upgrades to UTSAÕs high-power pulse-burst laser that will increase power/repetition rate/pulses-per-burst ~10x andÑwhen combined with existing equipment and the Mach 7 wind tunnel at UTSAÑwill enable the development & implementation of a suite of measurement techniques that will provide time-resolved 2D and 3D (often referred to as 4D) visualization and quantitative measurements of key physical quantities of hypersonic flows not possible with the current system. These measurements will be the first of their kind in a hypersonic fluid flow and will provide validation-quality data for computational models. This work will yield validation-quality spatially and temporally resolved measurements of key physical quantities including temperature, velocity, species concentration, pressure & density in hypersonic flows. The measurements have potential applications in many flows of interest to the DoD including in studies of turbulent transition, shock-wave/boundary-layer interaction unsteadiness, high-speed propulsion/combustion, and non-equilibrium flows. Outside of hypersonics, collaborations with the Co-Is at UTSA will enable applications of the equipment in medical device development, fire science, chemistry, and UAV/drone research. These tools will also be developed with an eye towards future implementation in large-scale DoD test facilities with future technology transition being a key long-term goal of this research thrust. The purchased equipment will have a direct impact on a large group of graduate & undergraduate students (40+) being trained as leaders in hypersonics and diagnostics, who will gain experience developing state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques. The proposed plan will include the use of images, 4D videos, and principles of hypersonic flow physics into a growing aerospace curriculum at UTSA, with further impact at the K-12 level with the Dee Howard Foundation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 02, 2022
- Source ID
- W911NF2210161
Entities
People
- Christopher Combs
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of Texas at San Antonio