Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of a Hypersonic Accelerator

• Grant number: 24/00893-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering - Aerospace Propulsion
• Principal Investigator: Fernando de Souza Costa
• Grantee: Fernando de Souza Costa
• Host Institution: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (Brasil). São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Gabriel Silva Dias

Abstract

The current research project aims at developing a single-stage hypersonic accelerator for studies of hypersonic flows, atmospheric reentry, impacts of test bodies or projectiles, hypersonic propulsion, and other applications. The acceleration of the test body is achieved by the increase in pressure caused by the propagation of a detonation wave through a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and oxygen. Single-stage hypersonic accelerators by detonation offer greater constructive simplicity and lower cost than two-stage light gas accelerators, which are traditionally used in hypersonic launch tests. The accelerator was initially designed based on theoretical modeling of internal ballistics and the detonation phenomenon, with structural simulations employed to validate the geometry of critical components. The stages of manufacturing, assembly, instrumentation, and commissioning will be carried out from the start of the project. Subsequently, tests of the accelerator will be conducted by varying the initial pressure and dilutions with inert gas. Given the limited number of reports in the literature specifically about hypersonic accelerators by detonation, the phenomena of internal ballistics will be studied, including the propagation of shock waves, expansion, deflagration, and detonation waves, as well as the deflagration-detonation transition phenomenon. The expected outcomes of this project include the development of a hypersonic test bench and an improved understanding of internal ballistics and operational limits of the hypersonic accelerator under different initial conditions. At the end of this project, the equipment will be available to the Brazilian scientific community and to the national defense system for various hypersonic research applications and for training specialized personnel. (AU)