Facilities

The Space Simulation Chamber at ZARM is a multi-purpose vacuum facility. Main components of the facility are the double walled vacuum chamber itself, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) terminal connected to a personal computer as well as to a second control box and a pumping unit containing different types of vacuum pumps to generate vacuum conditions.mehr...

With the INGA IV thruster differential pressure values between the combustion and the vacuum chamber can be recorded and examined. From the measured values and the mass flow rate of the propellant one can calculate thrust forces, using numerical methods. However, the INGA IV thruster itself does not provide direct thrust measurement. For this reason, a thrust balance for experimental studies of the thrust forces is currently designed and developed at ZARM. mehr...

Arcjet propulsion systems and their numerical modeling and optimization are one of the main investigation topics in the division Thermofluid Dynamics. In order for the numerical simulations to accurately represent real applications, experimental validations of the used models must be carried out.mehr...

The INGA IV thruster is the next generation arcjet thruster of the "INGA" (Ionized Noble Gas Accelerator) thruster series developed, build and operated at Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM)mehr...

The Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity ZARM disposes of an experimental setup designed for the study of flow processes and heating mechanisms in arcjet propulsion systems. The third iteration of the setup, known as Ionized Noble Gas Accelerator "INGA III", consists mainly of a vacuum chamber, pressure sensors, a mass flow controller, power supplies for the controlled generation and maintenance of an electric arc and a small scale, modular arcjet propulsion system.mehr...

Numerical simulations of compressible, transient turbulent flows demand often high computer resources. The Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity ZARM disposes to this end over its own Linux Cluster used, amongst others, for numerical simulations with the CFD Toolbox OpenFOAM.mehr...

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