Instrumentation of the EXPERT flap for Wind Tunnel Testing and Evaluation of Test Results

Paper number

IAC-12,C2,1,10,x15363

Author

Mr. Thomas Thiele, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Ali Gülhan, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Jürgen Häberle, Astrium Space Transportation, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Carlos Pereira, RUAG Space, Switzerland

Coauthor

Dr. Marco Di Clemente, CIRA Italian Aerospace Research Centre, Italy

Coauthor

Prof. Thomas Roesgen, ETHZ, Switzerland

Coauthor

Mr. Thoemel Jan, The Netherlands

Year

2012

Abstract

In the frame of the ESA EXPERT project the re-entry vehicle is used as a flight testbed to obtain 
aerothermodynamic flight data for the validation of design tools, ground test facilities and 
verification techniques with the further aim of improving reliability and reducing uncertainties 
for future re-entry missions. One of the scientific experiments (payload 6) of EXPERT is the 
“Measurement of Control Surfaces Aerodynamic Efficiency and Heating” which was developed
by the Supersonic and Hypersonic Technology Department of the DLR. The payload consists of 
the instrumentation of two control surfaces (flaps) and their corresponding cavities with temperature, pressure and heat flux sensors. Another EXPERT payload designed by RUAG (payload 8) measures
the rear side temperature of one flap using an infrared camera to calculate the front side heat flux distribution using an inverse method. Thereby the payload 6 temperature sensors are also used as reference for the infrared measurement.
To assess the design of the flap and its corresponding instrumentation (payload 6 and 8) under flight representative conditions wind tunnel tests were performed at the CIRA SCIROCCO plasma wind tunnel. For these tests the flap was instrumented in flight configuration, consisting of 10 thermocouples attached to the rear side of the flap and 5 pressure ports measuring the flap surface pressure distribution. The rear side temperature of the flap was also measured by the infrared camera of RUAG. Furthermore two infrared cameras and two pyrometers from CIRA were used to measure temperatures at the front side of the flap.
This paper presents the overall layout and design of the SCIROCCO EXPERT flap instrumentation 
together with the evaluated temperature and pressure distributions from the wind tunnel campaign.
Comparisons are done between the different measurement systems, e.g. comparison of thermocouple with infrared data. In addition some numerical results from CFD simulations are presented and compared with the experimental data.

Abstract document

IAC-12,C2,1,10,x15363.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-12,C2,1,10,x15363.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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