Parameter-Free Data Reduction for Short-Time Hypersonic Heat Flux Measurements

High-speed flows associated with hypersonics require significant, diverse, and successful ground-test campaigns before engaging in a flight test program. The present investigation focuses on demonstrating a new data reduction pathway for estimating the source heat flux using an elegant, though fragile, thin-film temperature gauge. The rapid response time of such sensors makes them well-suited for shock tunnel experiments. In such experiments, contaminated flow, composed of diaphragm debris, can often damage the sensing element. For the moment, the existence of an ideal coating (or even a hardened sensing element) is presumed that preserves the sensor’s survivability and accuracy over several test runs. A dynamic, physics-based data reduction methodology is proposed that accounts for the protective coating and that is applicable to millisecond testing times. This paper addresses three critical issues for acquiring the best estimate of the source heat flux. These issues include a) the formation of a baseline data reduction view that accounts for thin coatings; b) the development of a dynamic calibration method that removes the need for specifying thermophysical or geometrical properties; and c) the introduction of a time-scaling that allows for calibration to be performed in alternative and convenient time frames. This last point demonstrates the concept of the dimensionless time map and its novel consequences. The procedure is demonstrated on a reduced formulation, illustrating the merit of the concepts.