Vibration isolation in a free-piston driven expansion tube facility

The stress waves produced by rapid piston deceleration are a fundamental feature of free-piston driven expansion tubes, and wave propagation has to be considered in the design process. For lower enthalpy test conditions, these waves can traverse the tube ahead of critical flow processes, severely interfering with static pressure measurements of the passing flow. This paper details a new device which decouples the driven tube from the free-piston driver, and thus prevents transmission of stress waves. Following successful incorporation of the concept in the smaller X2 facility, it has now been applied to the larger X3 facility, and results for both facilities are presented.     

A new sliding joint to accommodate recoil of a free-piston-driven expansion tube facility

This paper describes a new device to decouple free-piston driver recoil and its associated mechanical vibration from the acceleration tube and test section of The University of Queensland’s X3 expansion tube. A sliding joint is introduced to the acceleration tube which axially decouples the facility at this station. When the facility is fired, the upstream section of the facility, which includes the free-piston driver, can recoil upstream freely. The downstream acceleration tube remains stationary. This arrangement provides two important benefits. Firstly, it eliminates nozzle movement relative to the test section before and during the experiment. This has benefits in terms of experimental setup and alignment. Secondly, it prevents transmission of mechanical disturbances from the free-piston driver to the acceleration tube, thereby eliminating mechanically-induced transducer noise in the sensitive pressure transducers installed in this low-pressure tube. This paper details the new design, and presents experimental confirmation of its performance.     

On the compression process in a free-piston shock-tunnel

Preliminary results in the Marseille free-piston shock-tunnel facility are presented. The compression of the driver gas by the piston is studied experimentally for two different geometries of the end of the compression tube. Peak pressures obtained with the end of the compression tube closed, and with bursting of the diaphragm separating the high pressure from the low pressure chamber, are compared with calculated values in the cases of N₂ and He as driver gases. A phenomenon of accoustic resonance has been uncovered, generating strong pressure oscillations which, if not properly dealt with, could impair the quality of the useful flow in such a facility.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1.0 and the AMS fonts, developed by the American Mathematical Society.     

Free-piston driver optimisation for simulation of high Mach number scramjet flow conditions

The University of Queensland (UQ) is currently developing high Mach number, high total pressure scramjet flow conditions in its X2 and X3 expansion tube facilities. These conditions involve shock-processing a high-density air test gas followed by its unsteady expansion into a low-pressure acceleration tube. This relatively slow shock-processing requires the driver to supply high pressure gas for a significantly greater duration than normally required for superorbital flow conditions. One technique to extend the duration is to operate a tuned free-piston driver. For X2, this involves the use of a very light piston at high speeds so that, following diaphragm rupture, the piston displacement substitutes for vented driver gas, thus maintaining driver pressure much longer. However, this presents challenges in terms of higher piston loading and also safely stopping the piston. This article discusses the tuned driver concept, the design of a very lightweight but highly stressed piston, and details the successful development of a new set of tuned free-piston driver conditions for X2.     

Experimental study on the tuned operation of a free piston driver

An experimental study of the tuned operation of a free-piston driver is described. Two series of experiments were carried out. The first was performed to validate a theory which has been developed recently to predict the operation with a small free piston-driver named NAL-CTA. The driver has a transparent window at the end of the compression tube to allow observation of piston motion. In the second, a theoretically determined length of piston buffer was used to tune the operating condition. Piston collision speeds of less than 3 m/sec were observed. A quasi-one-dimensional numerical code including leakage of driver gas through the piston clearance gap was derived. The numerical result agreed well with the experimental result. It is concluded that tuned operation, by using an appropriate length of the piston buffer, can be extrapolated to large-size tunnels. Received 6 March 1998 / Accepted 29 October 1998     

自由活塞压缩管ALE方法数值模拟

当前国际上实现高焓气体流动的实验手段之一是自由活塞驱动类脉冲设备,包括自由活塞激波风洞和自由活塞膨胀管.采用自由活塞压缩管作为激波风洞和膨胀管的驱动段时,其驱动能力在很大程度上决定了该类设备的性能.本文采用计算流体力学中任意拉格朗日——欧拉方法(arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian)数值模拟了压缩管内部的自由活塞运动和气体流动特征.采用移动网格技术来适应活塞运动边界,耦合求解网格运动和气体流动过程,并通过双时间步长方法进行流体运动的时间积分.为了满足几何守恒律(geometric conservation law),对移动网格的法向矢量和表面面积计算进行了修正.不同时刻的活塞位置试验测量结果及欧拉方法预测结果,以及基于简单波理论获得的运动活塞底部气体压力、活塞速度与活塞位置都与当前的ALE方法十分一致.该工作为下一步数值模拟自由活塞激波风洞和自由活塞膨胀管中包括压缩管、激波管和喷管等不同部位的耦合流动提供了基础.      

高焓膨胀管中压缩管最佳长度设计分析

中国空气动力研究与发展中心超高速所即将建成的高焓喷胀管采用自由活塞驱动,为了能够使该设备有效运行试验时间达到最长,需要对设备中的压缩管长度进行优化。针对压缩管中的自由活塞运动,本文通过数值求解单一组分和混合驱动气体条件下的活塞运动准一维常微分控制方程组,分析了不同试验设计参数和不同驱动气体介质对压缩管定压驱动时间的影响。采用数值解结合脊线(局部极值曲线)理论获得了定压驱动时间局部极值曲面,基于压缩管四种摩尔比例驱动气体(100%H2,85%H2+15%N2,100%He,85%He+15%Ar)和三组压缩比(λ=60,100,140)下的极值曲面,研究发现,定压驱动时间脊线高度随着压缩管的有效长度(初始活塞头部到压缩管末端膜片的距离)和内径之比L/D增加而增加。本文研究最终获得了给定参数条件下满足最长定压驱动时间要求的最佳压缩管长度。     

A compact shock-assisted free-piston driver for impulse facilities

A free-piston driver that employs entropy-raising shock processes with diaphragm rupture has been constructed, which promises significant theoretical advantages over isentropic compression. Results from a range of conditions with helium and argon driver gases are reported. Significant performance gains were achieved in some test cases. Heat losses are shown to have a strong effect on driver processes. Measurements compare well with predictions from a quasi-one-dimensional numerical code. Received 7 September 1996 / Accepted 5 October 1996     

Mass spectrometric measurements of driver gas arrival in the T4 free-piston shock-tunnel

Available test time is an important issue for ground-based flow research, particularly for impulse facilities such as shock tunnels, where test times of the order of several ms are typical. The early contamination of the test flow by the driver gas in such tunnels restricts the test time. This paper reports measurements of the driver gas arrival time in the test section of the T4 free-piston shock-tunnel over the total enthalpy range 3–17 MJ/kg, using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The results confirm measurements made by previous investigators using a choked duct driver gas detector at these conditions, and extend the range of previous mass spectrometer measurements to that of 3–20 MJ/kg. Comparisons of the contamination behaviour of various piston-driven reflected shock tunnels are also made. PACS 07.75.th; 47.40.-x     

自由活塞激波风洞

自由活塞激波风洞是一种使用自由活塞压缩器驱动的高焓脉冲型激波风洞。这种风洞是由R J Stalker提出并在澳大利亚国立大学首先建成和逐渐发展起来的高焓实验设备。经过30多年的改进与发展,日趋完善,现已成为研究高超声速气动加热、计及真实气体效应的气体动力学现象、特别是超声速或高超声速燃氢冲压发动机(scamjet)的重要设备之一,受到国际上航空航天界的重视。本文概述了自由活塞激波风洞的发展过程,系统地阐述了这种设备的结构特点和运行原理,给出了性能参数的计算方法和算例,及其性能指标,并讨论了这类风洞的优缺点。      

The use of driver inserts to reduce non-ideal pressure variations behind reflected shock waves

Non-ideal shock tube facility effects, such as incident shock wave attenuation, can cause variations in the pressure histories seen in reflected shock wave experiments. These variations can be reduced, and in some cases eliminated, by the use of driver inserts. Driver inserts, when designed properly, act as sources of expansion waves which can counteract or compensate for gradual increases in reflected shock pressure profiles. An algorithm for the design of these inserts is provided, and example pressure measurements are presented that demonstrate the success of this approach. When these driver inserts are employed, near- ideal, constant-volume performance in reflected shock wave experiments can be achieved, even at long test times. This near-ideal behavior simplifies the interpretation of shock tube chemical kinetics experiments, particularly in experiments which are highly sensitive to temperature and pressure changes, such as measurements of ignition delay time of exothermic reactions.     

Establishment of steady separated flow over a compression–corner in a free–piston shock tunnel

The time required to establish steady separated compression–corner flow is examined under hypervelocity conditions in a free-piston shock tunnel. This time is reasonably well described using previous perfect gas analyses. The results suggest that, provided the nozzle reservoir enthalpy is 20 MJ kg or less, there is sufficient time to establish steady separated flow before driver gas contamination becomes a significant problem in the present facility. Received 13 November 1996 / Accepted 20 May 1997     

A new, friction controlled, piston actuated diaphragmless shock tube driver

A new friction operated single piston shock tube driver design that is capable of generating shock waves of Mach number 1.1 to 2 is presented. By using different test gases and evacuating the driven section Mach 5 shock waves can easily be produced. The driver is efficient with shock wave Mach numbers within 9% of that predicted by ideal shock tube theory and the non-dimensional formation length lies between 20 and 40. The brake pad mechanism, that restrains the piston until tests commence, removes the necessity of venting an auxiliary chamber rapidly, thus speeding up the displacement of the piston. It is believed that the design is a practical, simple and cost effective way of generating reproducible shock tube tests with very short test turn around times, while removing the necessity of using a diaphragm and exposing the test gases to the atmosphere. Results for three pistons with masses of 4.4, 0.71 and 0.38 kg (brass, PVC and hollow aluminium respectively) with driver gauge pressures of between 2 and 50 bar (Mach 1.2 to 2) are given. Received 27 February 1998 / Accepted 8 July 1998     

Numerical study of free-piston shock tunnel performance

A free-piston shock tunnel (FPST) is one of the most useful ground testing facilities for hypervelocity flow research of re-entry vehicles and scramjet engines. For an efficient operation with tuned piston motion, the design of facility and the comprehension of the physical phenomena in a FPST, a numerical simulation which can properly predicts the flow with actual losses is required. But there are few successful numerical methods which can simulate its overall performance. In the present study, numerical method was developed by using the KRC shock capturing scheme and by modeling the flow losses in suitable forms for a quasi-1D numerical computation. The present numerical results were compared with the data obtained in two different facilities, T4 and T5. The applicability of the present numerical method as a design tool is discussed briefly.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1.0 and the AMS fonts, developed by the American Mathematical Society.     

Modelling the complete operation of a free-piston shock tunnel for a low enthalpy condition

Only a limited number of free-stream flow properties can be measured in hypersonic impulse facilities at the nozzle exit. This poses challenges for experimenters when subsequently analysing experimental data obtained from these facilities. Typically in a reflected shock tunnel, a simple analysis that requires small amounts of computational resources is used to calculate quasi-steady gas properties. This simple analysis requires initial fill conditions and experimental measurements in analytical calculations of each major flow process, using forward coupling with minor corrections to include processes that are not directly modeled. However, this simplistic approach leads to an unknown level of discrepancy to the true flow properties. To explore the simple modelling techniques accuracy, this paper details the use of transient one and two-dimensional numerical simulations of a complete facility to obtain more refined free-stream flow properties from a free-piston reflected shock tunnel operating at low-enthalpy conditions. These calculations were verified by comparison to experimental data obtained from the facility. For the condition and facility investigated, the test conditions at nozzle exit produced with the simple modelling technique agree with the time and space averaged results from the complete facility calculations to within the accuracy of the experimental measurements.     

A shock tube research facility for high-resolution measurements of compressible turbulence

A new shock tube facility with a 30.5 cm (1 ft) inside diameter is currently in operation that allows for high-spatial-resolution measurements of compressible turbulence. Small scales of turbulence behave very differently from large scales when they interact with shock or expansion waves. Highly resolved measurements can provide new information on the interaction at small scales. Another notable characteristic of the present facility is the ability to control the flow velocity behind the reflected shock through the porosity of the reflecting wall. Tests showed good flow quality with sufficiently long observation times. Measurements of piecewise average skin friction over short segments of the tube indicated strong viscous effects very close to the diaphragm where the shock is developing. The skin friction and the shock propagation speed virtually remained constant inside the working section of the shock tube in all investigated flow cases, even in low Mach number cases where viscous effects are stronger. The experimental results are compared with numerical simulations, including the effects of the reflecting porous wall and viscous effects.     

Gaseous detonation driver for a shock tunnel

The concept of a shock tunnel with gaseous detonation driver is discussed. A detonation driver presents an alternative to a free-piston driver because comparable values of high enthalpy can be attained, however, without the fast movement of a heavy piston. Wave diagrams, pressure and temperature distributions are presented. Finally, first experimental results are given.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1.0 and the AMS fonts, developed by the American Mathematical Society.     

在轴向气流作用下液体轴对称抛撒的近场研究

在轴向气流作用下液体轴对称抛撒的研究,是以飞行物体在运动状态下向大气抛撒液体燃料所导致的破碎和雾化为背景的。为了研究在轴向气流作用下液体轴对称抛撒所产生的雾场特性,本文提出了一种新的组合型实验设备。该设备由两台激波管、一套电子同步控制系统组成,可以观察在轴向气流作用下液体轴对称抛撒、破碎和雾化的过程。通过在此设备上的一系列实验,获得了在不同压力和不同气流速度下液体轴对称抛撒的近场纹影照片。通过对照片的研究发现,液体轴对称抛撒具有两个明显的阶段:液核生长阶段和液核稳定阶段。另外近场云雾区轮廓有明显的转折点,此转折点即为液核发生首次破碎的位置。进一步分析表明,轴向气流能促使液体轴对称抛撒首次破碎发生的时间缩短。     

Contact surface tailoring condition for shock tubes with different driver and driven section diameters

The contact surface tailoring conditions normally used for shock tubes do not apply to shock tubes with different driver and driven section diameters. A theoretical model is presented that predicts the contact surface tailoring condition for a convergent shock tube, designed to have a larger driver cross-section area than the driven section. The tailoring condition previously developed for shock tubes with uniform driver and driven diameters can be recovered from this model. Representative on- and off-model performance is verified experimentally in a high-pressure convergent shock. Tailoring conditions calculated with the model are also given for commonly used driven gases (Ar, N₂ and air) and He–N₂ driver mixtures as a function of driver/driven area ratio.      

不同失效模式下轴压管状结构的吸能特性比较

圆管、方管等管状结构受轴向的压缩作用,是工程上常见的一种结构受力形式.由于几何尺寸、边界条件和材料特性的不同,管状结构可以发生5种不同的失效模式:渐进屈曲、整体失稳、翻转、膨胀和劈裂.本文综述了近年来管状结构在轴压作用下不同失效模式的理论建模、实验测试和数值仿真研究结果,并对5种失效模式的力学响应、能量吸收特性进行了对比与分析.