Instrumentation of the EXPERT Flap for Wind Tunnel Testing and Evaluation of Test Results

Abstract

In the frame of the ESA EXPERT project the re-entry vehicle is used as a flight testbed to obtain aerothermodynamic flight data. One of the payloads, called “Measurement of Control Surfaces Aerodynamic Efficiency and Heating”, is developed by the Supersonic and Hypersonic Technology Department of DLR. The payload includes the instrumentation of two control surfaces (flaps) with different types of sensors and the corresponding data acquisition system. To assess the design of the flap and its instrumentation, tests were performed at the CIRA SCIROCCO plasma wind tunnel in April 2011 on a flap instrumented in flight configuration. This paper presents the overall layout and design of the flap instrumentation together with the evaluated temperature and pressure distributions measured during the test campaign. Evaluated temperatures from sensors installed on the flap are compared with contactless temperature measurements performed by several infrared cameras. In addition, some CFD simulation results are presented and compared with experimental data.