Hypervelocity Heat Flux Measurements in an Expansion Tube Using Atomic Layer Thermopile Gauges
Autoren |
Chengxin Yu |
|---|---|
Veröffentlichungsjahr | 2026 |
Veröffentlichungsart | Beiträge in Monografien, Sammelwerken und Schriftenreihen |
DOI | |
Zitierung | Yu, Chengxin; Truffinet, Robin; Gildfind, David; Morgan, Richard; Mee, David; Jacobs, Peter; Roediger, Tim; Kaneider, Simon; Oldfield, Martin (2026): Hypervelocity Heat Flux Measurements in an Expansion Tube Using Atomic Layer Thermopile Gauges. DOI: 10.2514/6.2026-4427 |
Hypervelocity Heat Flux Measurements in an Expansion Tube Using Atomic Layer Thermopile Gauges
Abstract
Atomic layer thermopiles (ALTP) are gauges capable of measuring heat flux in highly transient and harsh environments. They produce high-frequency response up to the MHz-range with linear performance over several orders of magnitude. Previous experimental studies have tested the operation of ALTPs at flight equivalent enthalpies up to 8.6 MJ/kg. In this study, the use of ALTP gauges for high-enthalpy hypervelocity ground test conditions was evaluated using the X2 expansion tube. A flat plate was instrumented with both ALTPs and conventional thin-film heat transfer gauges (TFHTGs), and tested at zero angle-of-attack. Separately, heat flux along the acceleration tube wall was also measured with both gauges at the same axial distance along the tube to investigate boundary layer transition. Simultaneous heat flux data was obtained and compared between both types of sensor. The results for ALTP and TFHTG for the laminar flat plate experiment show good agreement between both sensor types up to the maximum tested enthalpy of 81.3 MJ/kg. Less definitive results were obtained for the acceleration tube heat flux measurements, where analytical models appear to underestimate heat transfer, and ALTP results were inconsistent with TFHTGs.