PyroGenesis Inc T.PYR

Great Info on PYR's 20 MW Torch

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Some great posts regarding PYR's 20 MW torch:

@ordos @meu_21 Interesting question. I asked Grok: Temperature and Heat Intensity: 20MW Torch: This would produce significantly higher temperatures than a 4.5MW torch. Plasma torches generate heat through the ionization of gas, and higher power input generally results in higher thermal energy output. For applications like hypersonic research, where materials need to withstand extreme conditions, a 20MW torch would be capable of simulating or achieving conditions closer to those in reentry or hypersonic flight, where temperatures can exceed several thousand degrees Celsius.

Plasma Volume and Stability: Physical Size: The 20MW torch would likely have a larger plasma volume due to the increased power, which means a larger physical cross-section area of the plasma flame. This larger and more intense plasma can handle more substantial material processing or testing, like larger test articles or more robust materials.

Stability: Higher power torches might provide a more stable plasma due to the increased energy input, which can be crucial for precise and consistent testing or material processing.
Speed of Plasma: The speed at which the plasma exits the torch might be higher with a 20MW torch due to the increased energy driving the gas flow. This could result in a faster plasma jet, which might be necessary for simulating certain aerodynamic conditions or for cutting through tougher materials more efficiently.

Applications: Material Processing: A 20MW torch could be used for applications where extremely high temperatures are required, like melting or vaporizing high-melting-point metals or ceramics.

Testing Environments: For hypersonic research, as you've mentioned, the higher power allows for testing under conditions closer to actual flight scenarios, providing more accurate data on material behaviors under extreme heat and velocity.

Energy Efficiency and Control: While not directly scaling with power, the efficiency of converting electrical energy into thermal plasma energy might vary. High-powered torches like the 20MW might incorporate advanced designs for better energy transfer, control of plasma shape, and possibly lower energy loss.

Scalability and Industrial Use: The step up to 20MW from 4.5MW indicates a significant scaling in industrial applications, possibly allowing for batch processing of materials or testing at scales that are impractical or impossible with less powerful systems.

@ordos Since the client is rumoured to be CUBRC which deals in hypersonic R&D, that would make sense, as they need to test materials and behaviour of projectiles in a larger cross section of stable plasma stream. I have no doubt that hypersonic projectiles involve ceramics, which would need to be tested at these extreme conditions.

Interesting 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):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6plkucvZ1A

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.