A Low Cost, High Throughput, High Temperature Mechanical Test Platform Utilizing High Enthalpy Flow

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and The Ohio State University (OSU) propose to develop a versatile, high throughput, high temperature mechanical test platform based upon PSI’s established hypersonic materials mechanical strength (HMMS) testbed technology. The platform will be capable of assessing mechanical strength properties of materials subjected to simulated hypersonic flight and/or advanced propulsion environments. During Phase I the PSI-OSU team plans to design and/or demonstrate several innovations of the underlying HMMS technology to address Army objectives leading to a preliminary design for the Phase II prototype system. Experiments will demonstrate in-situ measurements of ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus on samples heated to extreme temperatures with high enthalpy flows simulating two distinct harsh chemical environments. OSU will design an automated pick-and-place sample transfer mechanism and a custom bending test fixture compatible with the HMMS testbed that will be implemented in the Phase II design to maximize the test rate and minimize the test cost. The prototype design will be finalized, built and tested in the Phase II program to establish the resulting mechanical test platform to a technology readiness level of 6 (TRL=6).