Thermal Imaging in Hypersonic Flight Testing

When it comes to designing a next-generation hypersonic capable plane the Aerospace Research Group do not take any stage of its development half-heartedly.

As such the group whilst researching the possibilities of travelling at hypersonic speed, which is 5 times faster than the speed of sound, they seeked out the very latest in thermal imaging technology to help them further understand the stresses a chassis and hull will go through at those speeds.

The equipment in question is a FLIR SC655 thermal imaging camera, which is a science-grade camera featuring a -20° to +650°C temperature range and ±2°C or ±2% accuracy of reading. Added features to this camera include the maintenance-free un-cooled micro-bolometer as well as the removable 24.5mm lens which features interior threads for optional filter holders.

According to Professor Konstantinos Kontis, head of the Aerospace Research Group at the University of Manchester, they chose that particular FLIR camera due to its thermal sensitivity:

“We chose the FLIR SC655 because it is capable of recording thermal maps of the entire surface of the test object”.

“It has an excellent thermal sensitivity, so it allows us to record tiny temperature differences. With the external triggering options and high speed video capturing capabilities it is the perfect tool for this type of test.”

In order to interpret all results from the thermal imaging camera chosen by the Aerospace Research Group, they have adopted FLIR ResearchIR software to perform the task at hand, which is tried and tested software used across multiple different markets and across multiple sectors.