This report describes two ground-based field instruments that measured the expansion rate of solid rocket motor exhaust in the stratosphere. These instruments, however, are useful for atmospheric plume or contrail measurements in general because of their ability to enhance the contrast of such images against the bright sky. The first instrument records video images at SVHS resolution of polarized near-infrared light. The second instrument uses an electronic camera to record 1.6 million pixel still images with 10-bit gray- scale resolution of polarized light in a similar near-infrared spectral region. The cameras are mounted on tripods that automatically record the azimuth and elevation of the center of the field-of-view on the electronic image. The technique used to enhance the contrast of the image of the plume against the bright day sky is presented. The instruments were used successfully to observe plume expansion of Space Shuttle and Titan IV vehicles.
Field Instrumentation for Atmospheric Plume and Contrail Measurements
1998
30 pages
Report
No indication
English
Missile Technology , Combustion & Ignition , Rocket Engines & Motors , Space shuttles , Instrumentation , Exhaust plumes , Condensation trails , Solid propellant rocket engines , Stratosphere , Rocket exhaust , Guided missiles , Measurement , Air force research , Light , Electronic equipment , Brightness , Images , Cameras , Day , Expansion , Sky , Ground based , Elevation , Azimuth , Near infrared radiation , Field equipment , Field instrumentation , Atmospheric plume measurements , Contrail detection , Polarized light imaging , Image contrasts , Svhs resolution , Field of view , Titan iv missiles
Progress in Modeling Missile Fuel Venting and Plume Contrail Formation AIAA Paper
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2007
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