In-Flight Gas Imaging Sensor for Scramjets

The development of scramjet engines for aerospace vehicles requires testing of engine components in wind tunnels and, more importantly, in flight. These tests provide valuable information for developing a viable engine and means for deciphering some of the complexities inherent in such a system. The short flow residence time inside the combustor poses a tremendous challenge in achieving appropriate mixing of the fuel and air, and maintaining flame stability within the combustor. Moreover, current wind tunnels cannot fully replicate the flow conditions expected to be encountered during flight or provide meaningful test times for current diagnostic tools. Southwest Sciences proposes to develop a compact, high speed, in-flight scramjet imaging sensor to measure local temperatures, pressures and gas concentrations. The key characteristic of this sensor is a very high speed imaging array detector that provides an unprecedented combination of temporal and spatial resolution for measurement of combustion gas properties.