Preparation of qualification tests of a plasma generator for the feeding of a hypersonic wind tunnel

Qualification tests have validated the use of a plasma generator as the feed for the R6 CH hypersonic wind tunnel that is to be employed for the Hermes project. In the first part of the study, a blast pipe using existing elements and fulfilling the conditions necessary for sounding (as determined by flow calculations), is developed. A gas flow rate of 0.26 kg/s and a gas power of 2,090,000 W are projected for an intake with a 1 sq cm cross section. Probe instrumentation for the measurement of dynamic pressure, local mass flow, and enthalpy were developed to verify the homogeneity of the flow.