Development of a Robust Dynamic Pressure Measurement Platform for Aerospace Test and Evaluation Facilities

Robust and accurate measurement of unsteady surface pressure is vital for the characterization, modeling, prediction, and control of hypersonic and airbreathing propulsion systems. However, time-resolved unsteady pressure measurements at many locations with high accuracy and reliability during propulsion, wind tunnel, and flight testing have been challenging for instrumentation engineers. In addition, flush-mounted sensors are expensive and fragile, whereas pressure measured using remotely located transducers suffers from pneumatic distortion. The objective of the current effort is to use an approach previously developed by Resono Pressure Systems for low-speed aerodynamic testing to address the needs in harsh testing environments. Based on discussions with the Air Force end-users and customers, the following objectives have been defined to address the unsteady pressure measurement needs in hypersonic and aero-propulsion Test and Evaluation facilities. The single system previously used to perform all functions (calibration, characterization, acquisition, post-processing) will be separated into component subsystems to work with existing data systems. The data processing algorithms will be improved to account for high-temperature gradients encountered in hypersonic and aero-propulsion applications. The reconstruction software will be re-developed to work in near-real-time, and uncertainty estimates associated with both measurement and reconstruction will be provided. NSA-certified encryption/decryption infrastructure for the secure transmission of the unsteady pressure measurements will be provided. Resono will provide a robust and cost-effective system enabling routine unsteady pressure measurements in hypersonic and aero-propulsion research, development, test, and evaluation.