Time-of-Flight Based Sonic Speed Measurements for Cold Gas Thruster Development

Author

Brandon W. Kempf, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow

Date of Graduation

5-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Huang, Po-Hao Adam

Committee Member

Albers, David

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to explore an experiment developed for validating the usage of a gaseous solution of water and propylene glycol for cold gas propulsion. The experiment involves a “Time of Flight” method of calculating the speed of sound in the gas and the corresponding specific heat ratio using a copper tube, two MEMS microphones, a piezoelectric speaker, and data-acquisition hardware. The experiment was calibrated using the known thermodynamic properties of air. The accuracy of the experiment was found to be within 0.6% for calculations of the speed of sound in air and within 1.0% of the specific heat ratio of air. This experiment can be used to determine the specific heat ratio of any gas placed inside the tube, which will allow for the usability of the gas as a cold gas propellant to be verified.

Citation

Kempf, B. W. (2016). Time-of-Flight Based Sonic Speed Measurements for Cold Gas Thruster Development. Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/meeguht/60