Apparatus and process for testing an aero vehicle at high Mach number
An apparatus and a process for testing a large combustor or a high Mach aero vehicle in a wind tunnel, where liquid air stored in a tank is pumped to a high pressure above 1,500 psi, then vaporized to produce gaseous air at the same high pressure, where the high pressure gaseous air is then heated to a high temperature and then passed into a combustor for testing or passed through a converging diverging nozzle and then into a wind tunnel to produce a non-vitiated gaseous air flow of at least Mach 5 for testing of an aero vehicle. Water can be added to the high pressure liquid air to produce an air flow having a normal water content.
1. A process for testing a combustor or an aero vehicle comprising the steps of:
storing liquid air in a storage tank;
pumping the liquid air from the storage tank to produce a high pressure liquid air above 1,000 psi;
vaporizing the high pressure liquid air to produce a high pressure gaseous air;
adding heat to the high pressure gaseous air to produce a gaseous air flow with a temperature simulating a real condition; and,
passing the gaseous air flow at a temperature simulating the condition into a combustor or a wind tunnel for testing.
2. The process for testing a combustor or an aero vehicle of claim 1 , and further comprising the step of:
adding water to the high pressure liquid air to produce a non-vitiated gaseous air.
3. The process for testing a combustor or an aero vehicle of claim 1 , and further comprising the step of:
burning hydrogen with oxygen in the high pressure liquid air to produce a non-vitiated gaseous air.
4. The process for testing a combustor or an aero vehicle of claim 1 , and further comprising the step of:
the step of pumping the liquid air to produce a high pressure liquid air includes pumping the liquid air to 1,500 psi or above.
5. The process for testing a combustor or an aero vehicle of claim 1 , and further comprising the step of:
pumping the liquid air to produce a high pressure liquid air includes pumping the liquid air to at least 3,000 psi.
6. The process for testing a combustor or an aero vehicle of claim 1 , and further comprising the steps of:
passing the high pressure gaseous air flow through a throat to; and,
expanding the gaseous air flow in a wind tunnel to produce a gaseous air flow of at a temperature to simulate a real condition.
7. A testing facility for testing a high Mach vehicle in a wind tunnel comprising:
a liquid air storage tank;
a pump to pump liquid air from the storage tank to a pressure above 1,500 psi;
a vaporizer to convert the liquid air from the pump into a gaseous air stream above 1,500 psi;
a heat exchanger to add heat to the gaseous air at a pressure above 1,500 psi;
a throat located downstream from the heat exchanger; and,
a wind tunnel located downstream from the throat; wherein the gaseous air above 1,500 psi expands after the throat to produce a gaseous air flow in the wind tunnel of at least Mach 1.
8. The testing facility of claim 7 , and further comprising:
the vaporizer includes a device to add water to the high pressure liquid air.
9. The testing facility of claim 8 , and further comprising:
the device to add water includes adding high temperature steam.
10. The testing facility of claim 8 , and further comprising:
the device to add water includes burning hydrogen with oxygen to add heat and water to the liquid air.
11. The testing facility of claim 7 , and further comprising:
the heat exchanger includes a series of heat exchangers.