Hardened subminiature telemetry at the AEDC

Abstract

A substantial effort is underway within DoD to develop technology associated with miniaturization, g-hardening, and thermal hardening of RF and digital components, power supplies, and sensors. Several DoD agencies, including the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), are cooperating to avoid duplication of efforts. At the AEDC, the technology efforts are focused on providing lowcost, high-accuracy, coherent data via on-board microminiature telemetry for a variety of weapons development programs. Applications of the telemetry system range from the replacement of slip rings used for compressor performance monitoring to determination of the launch loads to which a test vehicle is subjected while being accelerated to 20,000 fps. This paper briefly describes some applications of telemetry in the AEDC ground test facilities, and details some of the past, present, and future g-hardening development efforts. W Introduction DoD systems and subsystems. Interim capabilities will be demonstrated at the AEDC during the development and specification process. At the AEDC, on-board subminiature telemetry has been recognized as having the potential to provide vital data during transonic/hypersonic vehicle and/or projectile development tests, as well as providing performance information during turbine engine development tests and wind tunnel compressor operation. Two major development efforts are underway in the Propulsion Wind Tunnel (PWT) and the Hypersonic Range G. During FY96, adaptation of telemetry to monitoring rotating machinery performance will begin. In the wind tunnels, subminiature telemetry has already been demonstrated to provide coherent 6DOF acceleration information during the free-flight separation of a single aircraft store, and has the potential to provide the same data for the ripple release of multiple bombs, both in and out of bay cavities. In the hypersonic ranges, by providing diagnostics data on the in-bore launch, track guidance, and recovery environment, Hardened Subminiature Telemetry (HST) will enable improvements in projectile and facility performance. Potential HST applications include 6-DOF accelerations, real gas surface heat-transfer and pressure data for subsonic through hypersonic vehicles, and impactshock propagation and submunition dispersal information for interceptors, Hardened Subminiature Telemetry and Sensor Systems (HSTSS) has been identified as an informal working group by DoD. Participants include the AEDC, the Army Research Lab Aberdeen (ARL)* and the Naval Center China Lake. The objective of the working group is to minimize duplication of efforts while advancing the state of the art in HSTSS so that a ‘?tiny” generic, modular, and prograrnmable telemetry module is available for many DoD and commercial applications. The package is to include RF, digital and interface subsystems, as well as miniaturized power supplies and sensors. As a Participant in the group, AEDC will Provide the specifications of telemetry subsystems, Power SUPplies, and sensors to ARL for inclusion in the final Miniaturization and modularization of the telemetry subsystems are required in all of the above applications, not only to physically fit into the many geometrically different subscale ground test vehicles, but also to minimize the effects on their mass properties, Component and subsystem g-harden* The research repotted herein was performed by the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC), Air Force Maleriel Command. Work and analysis for this research were done by personnel of Micro Cratt TechnologyIAEDC Operations, technical sewices contractor for the AEDC aerospace flight dynamics facilities. Further reproduction is authorized to satisfy needs of the U. S. Government.