Ramjet Technology Program, 1963. Section XIV. Aerothermal Capability of Plasma Heaters. Section XV. High Pressure Air Generation

摘要

The objective of the plasma arc heater program was basically to design, fabricate, and test plasma heaters capable of operating at pressure levels beyond the current state-of the-art. One particularly outstanding test run with air at 2800 psia produced a gas enthalpy level of 3150 Btu/lb at a 0.135 lb/sec flow rate with an arc power of 1.12 Mw. Another experimental arc heater was successfully operated at 7600 psia or approximately 200 atmospheres. This plasma heater demonstrated the feasibility of arc heaters at extremely high pressures. The purpose of the high pressure air generation program was to demonstrate the practicability of creating extremely high pressures utilizing the principle of heating a cryogenic fluid in a constant volume vessel. The numerical goal of pressure levels in excess of 50,000 psia was successfully met when one test run attained a pressure level of 62,800 psia, at a fluid temperature of 790R. In addition, a method for obtaining and documenting pressure, volume, and temperature data at pressures in excess of currently available information was successfully demonstrated. (Author)