Interaction Heating Facility

The IHF is equipped with a 60-MW constricted heater that operates at pressures from 1 to 9 atmospheres and enthalpy levels from 7 to 47 MJ/kg (3000 to 20000 Btu/lb). The facility is designed to operate with interchangeable conical nozzles with exit diameters ranging from 76.2 mm (3”) to 1 m (41”). When the heater is coupled with the semielliptical nozzle, the test stream is suitable for testing flat panels of up to 610 x 610-mm (24” by 24”) in simulated hypersonic boundary layer flow environments

Testing features include:

• 60-MW Ames-designed constrictor arc heater
• Nozzle exit sizes from 76.2 mm to 1 m
• Stagnation, free jet wedge, or flat panel test configurations
• Stagnation pressure from 0.01 to 6 atm
• Heat fluxes from 5 to > 6000 kW/m²
• Enthalpies 7 to 47 MJ/kg (3000 – 20,000 Btu/lb)
• Power supply capable of delivering 75 MW continuously and up to 150 MW for a 15 second duration
• Test times up to one hour demonstrated

nasaamesihf2.pdf