Optical ablation/temperature gage (COTA)
Abstract
ONERA has ground and flight tested for heat-shield recession a novel technique, different from current radiation and acoustic measurement methods. It uses a combined ablation/temperature gage that views the radiation optically from a cavity embedded within the heat shield. Flight measurements, both of temperature and of passage of the ablation front, are compared with data generated by a predictive numerical code. The ablation and heat diffusion into the instrumented ablator can be simulated numerically to evaluate accurately the errors due to the presence of the gage. This technology was established in 1978 and finally adopted after ground tests in arc heater facilities. After four years of flight evaluations, it is possible to evaluate and criticize the sensor reliability.
- Publication:
-
La Recherche Aerospatiale (English Edition) (ISSN 0379-380X
- Pub Date:
- 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987ReAer...1...23C
- Keywords:
-
- Ablation;
- Heat Shielding;
- Optical Pyrometers;
- Reliability Analysis;
- Temperature Probes;
- Flight Tests;
- Ground Tests;
- Reentry;
- Thermal Protection;
- Instrumentation and Photography