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Magnetohydrodynamic drag force measurements in an expansion tunnel using a stress wave force balance

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Abstract

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) aerobraking has the potential to significantly reduce peak heat loads for high-speed planetary entry, due to increases in total drag force in the early phase of the trajectory. Establishing accurate techniques for measuring MHD drag force in ground testing facilities is a necessary first step for investigating this phenomenon. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the methodology required for using a stress wave force balance (SWFB) to measure MHD drag force in an expansion tunnel. Whilst the SWFB is an established technique for measurement of short duration forces in impulse wind tunnel facilities, conventional designs exhibit unusually low signal-to-noise ratios in MHD ground testing flow fields, due to electromagnetic interference from the plasma in the shock layer. This paper investigates the effect that sting design, amplifier setup, and strain gauge location have on the signal-to-noise ratio of a SWFB. Experimental validation of each design was undertaken in the X2 expansion tunnel with a high enthalpy (\(\sim 16\,\hbox {MJ}\,\hbox {kg}^{-1}\)) argon test flow by comparing the results to those obtained using an accelerometer-based force balance. The results demonstrate that maximum signal-to-noise ratio is obtained when: the sting is made from a low stiffness material such as polycarbonate to maximise strain; the charge amplifier is located near the strain gauge inside the model and is grounded at the data acquisition system to minimise electrical noise; the strain gauge is located close to the applied load to delay the return of reflected stress waves from the free end. MHD drag forces measured in this study varied up to approximately 3 N, and measurement uncertainty was found to be approximately \(\pm \, 0.2\,\hbox {N}\). Overall, successful adaptation of the stress wave force balance technique to MHD ground testing was achieved, and it has been shown to be a viable alternative to accelerometer-based techniques.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr. Chris Lloyd, Mr. Frans De Beurs, Mr. Neil Duncan, and the UQ EAIT Faculty Workshop for technical assistance with X2 and X3, as well as Mr. Peter Bleakley for providing support with instrumentation.

Funding

This work was supported by: the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship; The University of Queensland Early Career Research Grant Scheme; the Queensland Smart State Research Facilities Fund 2015; D. Gildfind is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Award (project DE170100263) funded by the Australian Government.

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  1. School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    Daniel R. Smith, David E. Gildfind, David J. Mee, Christopher M. James & Barry V. Allsop

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  1. Daniel R. Smith
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  2. David E. Gildfind
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  3. David J. Mee
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  5. Barry V. Allsop
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Correspondence to Daniel R. Smith.

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Smith, D.R., Gildfind, D.E., Mee, D.J. et al. Magnetohydrodynamic drag force measurements in an expansion tunnel using a stress wave force balance. Exp Fluids 61, 180 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-020-03015-4

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