Some Transient Measurements in a Rarefaction Wave Tube

Abstract

This paper reports upon an experimental investigation in which a heat-transfer instrument was designed, built, and applied in a rarefaction wave tube. An analysis of the heat-transfer instrument was made to evaluate the significant parameters which influence the instrument performance in the measurement of transient heat flux between the gas and wall. A mathematical analysis based upon the heat balance integral procedure, considering variable density and time-dependent free stream gas temperature, was performed to interpret the gas-to-end-wall heat transfer in a rarefaction wave tube. The heat-transfer rates predicted by the analysis com pared favorably with values measured by the calorimeter type thermistor heat-transfer instrument.