Non-Invasive Measurement of Fluid/Gas Characteristics in Harsh Environments

A typical missile launch Ejector System generates a high-pressure, high temperature water/gas/steam mixture by igniting a double-based grain solid propellant into a water-filled reservoir. The reservoir is connected to a short, curved, thick steel pipe (or ejector pipe) that allows the water and gas/steam mixture to flow into a larger chamber. The total duration, from ignition to propellant expended, lasts approximately one second. The flow through the ejector pipe can be characterized as multi-phase (i.e., water, steam, and propellant gases), compressible, non homogeneous, turbulent, and highly transient with the potential presence of shock waves within the pipe. Actual conditions are unknown, and legacy data do not provide the level of understanding desired to assess the ejector system’s performance. A non-invasive sensor system is proposed that will provide spatially resolved, time-dependent flow data that should yield an improved understanding of the underlying physics within the flow phenomena, and also support flow performance assessments and predictions with the CFD M&S tools. A prototype system will be developed during the Phase II effort, and delivered to the Navy for field testing under relevant conditions.