RE:RE:Great Video/Interview on Today's NRInteresting that in the video it references the client as a major aeronautics and defense contractor with a particular expertise in jet propulsion (this is mentioned around the 1:15 minute mark).
And from @ordos:
@ordos From another discussion site. The client could be https://www.cubrc.org/ @ordos It would make sense, since they are involved in hypersonic flight testing on the ground. This most likely includes hypersonic weapon development, e.g. requires materials that can withstand the extreme temperature and ionization (e.g. plasma) that happens in hypersonic flight. Very impressive
CUBRC:
https://www.cubrc.org/aerosciences/
The CUBRC Aerosciences team executes hypersonic ground testing, hypersonic flight testing support, cutting-edge computational modeling and analysis, and unique capability development.
CUBRC provides the US Government and its contractors with critical test results and analysis for the defense of the nation, space exploration, and the advancement of the understanding and modeling of fundamental hypersonic flow physics.
We develop, operate and maintain a family of supersonic and hypersonic ground test facilities, diagnostics and instrumentation, and computational tools and models that has been designated by the US Government as critical test infrastructure.
This designation is due to the unique capabilities of CUBRC’s ground test facilities that serve the government and its contractors to perform testing of large to full-scale flight systems at flight matching altitude and velocity conditions in clean air freestreams. This includes the matching of Mach number, Reynolds number and velocity (pressure, temperature and density) to conditions of interest that vehicles will experience in the sky during flight, as well as employing full-scale replicated flight geometries.
In order to provide results that can be used directly to compare to computational predictions and engineering tools, the Aerosciences team employs well-characterized, state-of-the-art sensors and diagnostics in everyday testing and will actively develop new sensors and diagnostics as the computational capabilities of the nation evolve.
@ordos Grok answer on this:
Yes, CUBRC does engage in testing that involves hypersonic projectiles, and part of their testing methodology includes the use of plasma torches among other techniques for simulating the extreme conditions these projectiles experience during hypersonic flight. Here's how they utilize such technology:
Plasma Torch Testing: Plasma torches are used in testing facilities to replicate the high enthalpy (total energy content) environments encountered by hypersonic vehicles. This includes testing thermal protection systems (TPS) and materials that need to withstand extremely high temperatures. The use of plasma torches, like inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torches, allows for the creation of a high-temperature gas flow that can simulate the aerodynamic heating experienced during hypersonic flight. This is crucial for validating the performance and durability of materials used in hypersonic projectiles or vehicles.
Purpose of Testing: The primary goal of using such high-heat testing methods is to analyze how materials and components behave under conditions similar to those of actual hypersonic flight, which includes not just the high speeds but also the interaction with the atmosphere that leads to significant heating due to air compression and friction.
CUBRC's Capabilities: CUBRC's Aerosciences division operates facilities capable of performing these tests. They have ground test facilities where they can simulate flight conditions, including the use of technologies like plasma torches, to test full-scale or large-scale components of flight vehicles. This is part of their broader capability in hypersonic testing, which includes computational modeling, ground testing, and support for flight testing. BIGMOE wrote: Looks like some type of jet engine or populsion system for the space vehicle using Plasma System. I possible see muliple orders of 20 MW torches for Space programs. It could be multiple rocket system and requires 3 to 5 torch system each. Full system may require up to 20 torch system. Therefor over $500 million per space vehicle system using plasma torch.