High Speed Systems Test
Abstract
The HSST project continued to advance ground and flight test technologies, techniques, instrumentation, and modeling and simulation capabilities required for the development of hypersonic weapon systems. In F 20Y21, HSST continued to address critical technology shortfalls for hypersonic test and evaluation in aerothermal and propulsion ground testing capabilities and advanced instrumentation to support hypersonic flight tests. Several other technology development efforts also progressed through the year. To address the technology shortfall involving aerothermal and propulsion testing, HSST is developing a new test facility that utilizes clean-air heat addition (non-vitiated air) and a variable Mach number (VMN) capability to provide the representative high-temperature conditions for characterizing weapon systems, including air-breathing propulsion capabilities. The clean-air heat addition is especially important to the characterization of air-breathing propulsion systems, as previous HSST efforts demonstrated that vitiated air provides different gas properties than clean air found in the atmosphere and thus is not representative of what the vehicle would experience in flight. This significantly affects the engine’s performance and operability in the test environment and results in erroneous flight predictions. Additionally, characterization of advanced sensors for hypersonic systems also benefits from clean-air heat addition as it provides a more representative environment for the sensor to operate in. The variable Mach number capability provides a more representative trajectory simulation for the system under test, permitting more accurate predictions before conducting flight tests. The new test facility, called the Hypersonic Aerothermal and Propulsion Clean-Air Testbed (HAPCAT), was checked out at the upper envelope and the facility was configured to demonstrate test techniques that determine the combined aerodynamic and aerothermal effects on advanced hypersonic sensors performance. All of the efforts associated with HAPCAT also serve as pathfinders for the development of a larger-scale, more capable facility at the AEDC. Upgrades and development efforts associated with aerothermal testing also continued in FY 2021. HSST continued multiple efficiency upgrades to the AEDC arc heaters to increase throughput in response to significant test demand. HSST also initiated new aerothermal test technology development efforts to prototype alternative high enthalpy test technologies, to include a plasmatron test capability. Significant progress was achieved in the development of the SkyRange capability, an unmanned aerial vehicle-based range to support hypersonic flight tests and other missions for the Department of Defense. SkyRange provides a more agile, flexible, and cost-effective method for providing support to hypersonic flight tests with increased data collection capabilities beyond the current state-of-the-art. It also addresses a critical throughput shortfall for supporting the number of hypersonic flight tests required, as a sufficient number of existing assets does not exist. RQ-4 Global Hawks and MQ-9 Reapers comprise the platforms used for SkyRange. SkyRange augments existing air, sea, and land test support assets referred to as the “string of pearls,” reducing the high costs associated with traditional flight test support. Novel sensors are being developed in the areas of telemetry capture and relay, multispectral imaging, atmospheric sensing, terminal scoring, and other areas to aid in the development of hypersonic systems. Several of these sensors are being developed through HSST for integration into the SkyRange capability. Achievements were made for both SkyRange aircraft platforms in FY 2021. Work continued on the modification of three RQ-4s to facilitate sensor package integration as part of SkyRange. Upon completion, this will result in three operational RQ-4s for SkyRange. For the MQ-9s, six aircraft were acquired and stationed at the main operating base in California. These MQ-9s will be used for integrating various sensors, generally through the use of pylon-carried pods. The development, integration, and operation of a phased-array telemetry capability continued as part of SkyRange. The telemetry antenna underwent flight testing and subsequent improvements to subsystem operability and reliability. RQ-4s will be available to collect flight test mission telemetry data in early FY 2023, proving telemetry antenna initial operational capability. RangeLynx module installation is underway on two RQ-4 aircraft to provide real-time satellite-based telemetry relay to ground stations. Progress continued on the development of a high-fidelity automated and reconfigurable multispectral imaging tracking system for integration into an RQ-4 Global Hawk as part of the overall SkyRange capability. Ground checkouts of the system were successful, and system modifications are being designed for integration onto the aircraft. The development is scheduled for system integration in FY 2022. The High-Altitude LIDAR Atmospheric Sensing (HALAS) system remains installed on a Gulfstream G-IV business jet. The G-IV continued to support flight test missions by collecting atmospheric data. The data collected informs the design of the HALAS system for integration on an unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk as part of the overall SkyRange capability. A ground based multispectral thermal imaging prototype continued to collect thermal imagery in the terminal phase of a hypersonic flight tests for thermal protection system evaluation. The system was deployed to the Pacific to support terminal phase data collection for a hypersonic flight test, and the prototype successfully acquired thermal imagery data that was subsequently provided to the weapon system program. The system was then brought back to CONUS, where an enclosure was fabricated and installed on the unit to increase reliability. The system was then redeployed to the Pacific to support additional flight tests. Additional upgrades and technology development continued at the CUBRC hypersonic shock and expansion wind tunnels to support hypersonic ground testing. These included the implementation of a fast-response force and moment balances for use in the CUBRC facilities, and multiple non-intrusive diagnostic systems for evaluation of hypersonic systems. In addition to these upgrades, a new wave rotor facility development was initiated, starting with a small scale prototype wave rotor based multi-shock heater to demonstrate representative conditions at hypersonic speeds for aero-optic and thermal protection system testing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Source ID
- dbece045cea6fcb2ba1b3393dbcbfa73