ESD of Aerospace Vehicles

1. Refine the theoretical model developed in the SIF project.\n2. Design and fabricate a new wind tunnel test section.\n3. Instrument test section to measure pressure, temperature, voltage, and current. Automate data collection via a LabVIEW program.\n4. Instrument wind tunnel with a high speed camera to capture Schlieren images of supersonic shock waves. Install digital cameras for real-time recording of electrical discharges.\n5. Perform wind tunnel experiments to record sparking discharges during supersonic flow.\n6. The results will be summarized in a final report.\n7. Write a conference paper and a peer reviewed journal article.

There is no known theoretical approach to describing the breakdown or sparking electrostatic discharge between charged surfaces that are moving relative to the ambient gas such as the case of aerospace vehicles. An extensive search in the pertinent scientific journals found no similar work. The goal of this is to perform theoretical analysis and wind tunnel experimentation to verify the new theoretical model of Paschen's law developed previously from the outcome of the SIF project. The following theoretical formulation of Paschen's law that includes the Mach number and compressible dynamic pressure terms was developed. Wind tunnel test data was consistent with the basic hypothesis that high speed gas flow raises the sparking voltage by removing electron - ion pairs from around the electrodes. In this study, we propose to reconfigure the wind tunnel apparatus previously used with a new test section. This new test section will have the electrode plates built into the top and bottom surfaces to alleviate shock reflections around a suspended electrode (Figure 1). The new experimental apparatus will have automated recording of current and voltage data via a LabVIEW program.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 2) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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