Electric‐arc airspike experiments were performed with a 1.25‐inch diameter blunt body in the vacuum‐driven Mach 3 wind tunnel at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Schlieren movies at 30‐Hz frame rate were recorded of the airspike flowfields, revealing substantial evolution over the 6‐second run durations. Arc powers up to 2‐kW were delivered into the airspike by an arc‐welding power supply, using zirconiated tungsten electrodes. Aerodynamic drag was measured with a piezo‐electric load cell, revealing reductions up to 70% when the airspike was energized. The test article was a small‐scale model of the Mercury lightcraft, a laser‐propelled transatmospheric vehicle designed to transport one‐person into orbit. Numerical modeling of this airspike is based on the Euler gasdynamic equations for conditions identical to those tested in the RPI supersonic tunnel. Excellent agreement between the shock wave shapes given by first‐order asymptotic theory, numerical modeling, and experiment is demonstrated. Results of the numerical modeling confirm both the significant drag reduction potential and the energy efficiency of the airspike concept.
Combined Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Electric‐Arc Airspikes For Blunt Body at Mach 3
BEAMED ENERGY PROPULSION: Third International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion ; 2004 ; Troy, New York (USA)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 766 , 1 ; 528-541
27.04.2005
14 pages
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
COMBINED EXPERIMENTAL/ NUMERICAL INVESTIGATION OF ELECTRIC-ARC AIRSPIKES FOR BLUNT BODY AT MACH 3
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