Aerodynamics of indirect thrust measurement by the impulse method

The aerodynamic aspects of indirect thrust measurement by the impulse method have been studied both experimentally and numerically. The underlying basic aerodynamic principle is outlined, the phenomena in subsonic, supersonic and arc-heated jets are explored, and factors affecting the accuracy of the method are studied and discussed. Results show that the impulse method is reliable for indirect thrust measurement if certain basic requirements are met, and a simple guideline for its proper application is given.

Mechanisms for non-ideal flow in low-power arc-heated supersonic nozzles

The flow in a low-powered arc gas heater com- bined with a supersonic nozzle of throat diameter less than 1 mm is quite complicated and difficult to describe in quan- titative detail. Experiments on arc-heated supersonic jet thrusters of monatomic gases argon and helium have been carried out and their performance measured. The flow charac- teristics are analyzed with the help of numerical simulation. Results show that the viscous effect is the most important factor causing the large difference between ideal and real performance. A large outer section of the exit flow is slow- moving. This is especially pronounced in helium, where 70 % of the exit area of the nozzle might be in subsonic flow. Fric- tion forces can be much larger than the net thrust, reaching several times higher in helium, resulting in very low efficien- cies. Other factors causing the differences between ideal and real flow include： complex flow in the throat region, electric arc extending to the nozzle expansion section, heat transfer to the inlet gas and from the hot plasma, and environmen- tal pressure in the vacuum chamber. It is recognized that the ordinary concepts of supersonic nozzle flow must be greatly modified when dealing with such complicated situations. The general concepts presented in this paper could be helpful in guiding the design and operation of this equipment.

Sufficiently diffused attachment of nitrogen arc by gasdynamic action

For realizing diffused anode attachment in pure nitrogen arcs, a special arc plasma generator was designed and combined with suitable working parameters such as gas flow rate and arc current. The anode has a flow-restrictor channel of 2.8 mm diameter and downstream expansion half-angle of 8°, with the purpose of creating a dispersed nitrogen-arc column by strong gasdynamic expansion effect. Results show that, when thermal blocking condition existed in the flow restrictor and the cathode cavity pressure was higher than that in the exit chamber by at least 9 kPa, the action due to gasdynamic expansion could be much stronger than the self-magnetic contraction effect of the arc and the nitrogen arc column could be effectively dispersed to form a sufficiently diffused attachment on the water-cooled anode surface.

Numerical simulation of the effects of protrusion on DC arc anode attachment

The attachment of the DC arc on the anode is usually affected by surface morphology such as protrusions due to ablation or melting deformation.A three-dimensional thermodynamic and chemical non-equilibrium model is used to numerically simulate the effect of artificially assumed surface protrusions on the arc anode attachment.The numerical simulation results show that the arc deflects toward the protrusions on the anode and attaches to them in a constricted mode,resulting in an increase in the temperature of the arc attachment region.The analysis shows that the presence of protrusion on the anode surface changes the electric field distribution,intensifies the degree of thermodynamic and chemical non-equilibrium in its vicinity,further influences the chemical kinetic process of the plasma around it,which is the main reason for the deflection of the arc toward the protrusions and the arc anode attachment in a constricted mode.In order to verify the numerical simulation results,verification experiments are also performed using similar size scale anode protrusion,and the results showed that the presence of protrusion can indeed cause the deflection of the arc and even cause the ablation of the protrusion.

Producing ultra-high-speed nitrogen jets by arc heating in a low-pressure chamber

Pure nitrogen gas was heated with direct current arc, at input powers from several hundred Watt to over 5 kW, and then injected through a nozzle into a chamber at 1 or 10 Pa pressure, with the purpose of accelerating the gas to very high speed around 7 km/s. Various structures of the arc generator and gas expansion nozzle were examined. Results show that bypass exhausting of the boundary layer before it enters the nozzle divergent section can greatly increase flow speed of the jet, thus it might be possible to use nitrogen as a working gas in high speed gas dynamic test facilities.

Sub-acute toxicity of licorice-sargassum extract in Sprague-Dawley rats:biochemical,histopathological,and pharmacokinetic studies

To the Editor:The"eighteen antagonistic medicaments,"an indispensable component of Oriental Pharmacology,states that sargassum and licorice should not be administered simultaneously.^([1])Researchers have reported that co-administration of licorice and sargassum exerted toxic effects on the heart,liver,and kidney of rats.^([2,3])However,the classic recipe"Hai-Zao-Yu-Hu-Tang,"(containing licorice and sargassum)is currently used,though the safety profile of this medication has not been clearly defined.Therefore.