Summary of Test Preparations for the Medium Scale Critical Components Test Program at the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (Invited)

Rigney, Sharon

doi:10.2514/6.2014-2482

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…1 and formally known as HPA-PCV303-VH, will be used to provide HPA to the distortion generator duct which is described in Ref. 3. The flow through PCV303 does not enter the CAH, but it will enter the test article and therefore requires an inplace calibration of its upstream venturi tube HPA-VT203-VH.…”

Section: Overview Of the Aptu Hpa Isobutane And Lox Supply Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Place Calibration of the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Air, Isobutane, and Liquid Oxygen System Venturi Tubes (invited)

Garrard

2014

19th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference

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The Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) has historically been used as a freejet test facility for missile scale systems. For propulsion system freejet tests, the mass-flow rate entering the engine has to be determined experimentally based on measurements made in the propulsion system flow path since a large fraction of the test medium exiting the freejet nozzle spills around the engine inlet. For the upcoming Medium Scale Critical Components (MSCC) test program, APTU will be used as a direct-connect test facility. All of the mass flow exiting the APTU direct-connect nozzle will flow directly through the propulsion system under test. This therefore requires both the precise metering of the flow rates and knowledge of the uncertainty of the mass-flow rates. This paper will discuss the calibration of the existing Hershel-type venturi tubes installed in APTU. The high-pressure air (HPA) system venturi tubes were calibrated in 2013 using a critical flow venturi test rig installed downstream of the Combustion Air Heater (CAH). The majority of the paper will be focused on describing the HPA system test program and the results. The liquid oxygen (LOX) venturi tubes will be calibrated in 2014 using a multiholed plate mounted on the exit of the CAH and the HPA system. The isobutane system venturi tubes will also be calibrated in 2014 using a Coriolis mass-flow meter installed upstream of the venturi tubes. The plans for the calibration of these two systems' venturi tubes will be described. A brief summary of the uncertainty analysis for the calculated venturi tube flow coefficient will conclude the paper. NomenclatureAEDC = Arnold Engineering Development Complex AFRL = Air Force Research Laboratory APTU = Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit ASME = American Society of Mechanical Engineers A t = CFV throat cross sectional area, in. 2 , Eq. (5) CAH = Combustion Air Heater C f = venturi tube flow coefficient, CFV flow coefficient, Eqs. (1) and (5) CFV = critical flow venturi d = venturi throat diameter (inches), Eq. (1) °F = degrees Fahrenheit °R = degrees Rankin F a = venturi thermal expansion factor, Eq. (4) FCV = flow control valve ft = foot g c = gravitational constant 32.174 lb m *ft/lb f *sec 2 HPA = high-pressure air 2 Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. LOX = liquid oxygen LN 2 = liquid nitrogen MSCC = medium scale critical components M t = CFV throat Mach number, Eq. (5) NIST = National Institute of Standards and Testing P t = upstream total pressure (psia), Eq. (5) PDP = pressure drop plate psia = lb f /in. 2 absolute psid = lb f /in. 2 differential q m = mass-flow rate through the venturi tube R = gas constant for air (53.35 ft*lb m /lb f *°R) Re d = Reynolds number based on venturi tube throat diameter REFPROP= Reference Fluid Thermodynamic and Transport Properties T = current temperature T Ref = reference temperature T t = upstream total temperature (°R), Eq. (5) U = fluid velocity through the venturi tube throat VKF = Von Karman Facili...

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Section: Overview Of the Aptu Hpa Isobutane And Lox Supply Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

In Place Calibration of the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Air, Isobutane, and Liquid Oxygen System Venturi Tubes (invited)

Garrard

2014

19th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference

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“…The design of the system will include the piping, valves, and tanks required to supply a test article fuel manifold at the specified range of flow rates, pressures, and temperatures that are required to meet the engine operating conditions throughout the planned test matrix. 3 The previous control approach is no longer feasible for this higher capacity system. Both the flow rate and temperature control will be automated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Upgrades to the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Facility Control System and Simulator in Support of the Medium Scale Critical Components Direct Connect Test Program (Invited)

Boylston

2014

19th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference

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Advanced ground-test facilities such as the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) require advanced, stateof-the-art, high-speed control systems to operate safely and robustly. Given the unique nature in which APTU and other blowdown test facilities operate, a high-fidelity transient facility math model and computer simulation is integrated into the new APTU control system to verify hardware operation and test sequence logic before each run. AEDC invested in a new control system and facility simulation for APTU in 2009. With the upcoming Medium Scale Critical Components (MSCC) direct-connect test program, additional improvements and additions will be required to support the direct-connect testing of the medium scale scramjet propulsion systems. This paper will document the enhancements to various fluid models and routines to calculate selected facility performance parameters. The new requirements imposed on the control system and facility model due to the installation of a new heated fuel system will be described.

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“…An overview of the MSCC project can be found in Ref. 1. For detailed description of APTU and its operation, the reader is referred to Refs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design, Analyses, and Planned Calibration Tests for the Medium Scale Critical Components Direct Connect Facility Nozzles at the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (Invited)

Holst

2014

19th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference

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Three direct-connect nozzles have been designed and fabricated for use with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Medium Scale Critical Components (MSCC) program.This paper will discuss the process for determining the test conditions. The design process used to develop the nozzle wall contours will be discussed. Generalized results that describe the expected flow quality at the nozzle exit will be shown and the results compared to program requirements. The heat-transfer, thermal, and structural analyses conducted to ensure the nozzles will survive the harsh flow conditions associated with hypersonic testing will also be discussed. The paper will briefly summarize the AFRL-provided distortion generator that will be installed just downstream of the nozzles. Finally, the planned activation and calibration test program for each nozzle will be discussed. NomenclatureAEDC = Arnold Engineering Development Complex AFRL = Air Force Research Laboratory AIP = aerodynamic interface plane APTU = Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit CAH = Combustion Air Heater CCCP = Conjugate Conduction-Convection Program CFD = computational fluid dynamics BeCu = beryllium-copper alloy CuCrZr = copper-chromium-zirconium alloy DAKOTA = Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications DOE = Design of experiments DPLR = data parallel line relaxation FEA = finite-element analysis HPA = high-pressure air I/O = input/output IV = integrated variance LOX = liquid oxygen MOC = method of characteristics MSCC = Medium Scale Critical Components 1 Analysis Engineer, Aeropropulsion Analysis Branch, 676 2 nd Street, MS 4001, Member 2 Senior Analysis Engineer and AEDC Fellow, Aeropropulsion Analysis Branch, 676 2 nd Street, MS 4001, Member 3 Design Engineer, Design Branch, 2 Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. Pt = total pressure, psia Tt = total temperature, °R

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Summary of Test Preparations for the Medium Scale Critical Components Test Program at the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (Invited)

Cited by 6 publications

References 9 publications

In Place Calibration of the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Air, Isobutane, and Liquid Oxygen System Venturi Tubes (invited)

In Place Calibration of the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Air, Isobutane, and Liquid Oxygen System Venturi Tubes (invited)

Upgrades to the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit Facility Control System and Simulator in Support of the Medium Scale Critical Components Direct Connect Test Program (Invited)

Design, Analyses, and Planned Calibration Tests for the Medium Scale Critical Components Direct Connect Facility Nozzles at the Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (Invited)

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