Measurement techniques in high-enthalpy hypersonic facilities

Interest in hypersonic aerodynamic braking and aerospace planes has led to the development of new high-enthalpy hypersonic test facilities. This paper describes available techniques and future developments for making measurements in these facilities. Emphasis is on instrumentation for use with short-duration flows in free-piston shock tunnels. Issues of free-stream calibration, surface measurements on models, flow visualization, laser diagnostics, and accuracy are addressed, with references made to representative experimental studies. The paper concludes with a summary of future research needs.