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Title: Experimental investigation of supersonic low pressure air plasma flows obtained with different arc-jet operating conditions

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4769706· OSTI ID:22075846
;  [1]
  1. Laboratoire ICARE CNRS, 1C Av. de la Recherche Scientifique 45071 Orleans Cedex 2 (France)

A stationary arc-jet plasma flow at low pressure is used to simulate some properties of the gas flow surrounding a vehicle during its entry into celestial body's atmospheres. This paper presents an experimental study concerning plasmas simulating a re-entry into our planet. Optical measurements have been carried out for several operating plasma conditions in the free stream, and in the shock layer formed in front of a flat cylindrical plate, placed in the plasma jet. The analysis of the spectral radiation enabled the identification of the emitting species, the determination of the rotational and vibrational temperatures in the free-stream and in the shock layer and the determination of the distance of the shock to the flat plate face. Some plasma fluid parameters like, stagnation pressure, specific enthalpy and heat flux have been determined experimentally along the plasma-jet axis.

OSTI ID:
22075846
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1501, Issue 1; Conference: 28. international symposium on rarefied gas dynamics 2012, Zaragoza (Spain), 9-13 Jul 2012; Other Information: (c) 2012 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English