High energy arc-compatible thermal capacitance sensor and measuring heat flux and incident energy of a high energy arc event

A high energy arc-compatible thermal capacitance sensor for measuring heat flux and incident energy of a high energy arc event, the high energy arc-compatible thermal capacitance sensor comprising:

• a thermally capacitive slug comprising:
• a refractory metal that nondestructively withstands changes in shape, volume, and mass while being subjected to a plasma jet from a high energy arc event for a duration of exposure time of at least 8 seconds and at least 10,000° C. or at least or 8 MW/m2;
• an exposed high energy arc receiver surface that receives heat flux and incident energy from the plasma jet and produces thermal energy from receiving the heat flux and incident energy;
• a hidden thermal energy transfer surface arranged relative to the exposed high energy arc receiver surface so that the hidden thermal energy transfer surface is not exposed to the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy and so that the hidden thermal energy transfer surface receives the thermal energy from the exposed high energy arc receiver surface, wherein the thermal energy is communicated from the exposed high energy arc receiver surface to the hidden thermal energy transfer surface through the refractory metal, wherein a refractory insulation member blocks the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy from the hidden thermal energy transfer surface;
• a mounting surface that mechanically engages the refractory insulation member such that the mounting surface is interposed between the exposed high energy arc receiver surface and the hidden thermal energy transfer surface, and such that the mounting surface is not exposed to the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy by the refractory insulation member that blocks the mounting surface from the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy;
• and
• a fastener receiver arranged proximate to the hidden thermal energy transfer surface and that receives a fastener that fastens the temperature reader to the thermally capacitive slug;
• the refractory insulation member in which the thermally capacitive slug is disposed and comprising:
• a ceramic that electrically insulates the hidden thermal energy transfer surface, the thermally capacitive slug, and the temperature reader from the heat flux and incident energy of the high energy arc event;
• a slug receptacle bounded by a receptacle wall and that receives the thermally capacitive slug such that the receptacle wall mechanically engages the mounting surface of the thermally capacitive slug and fixes a position of the mounting surface of the thermally capacitive slug;
• an output interface aperture bounded by an aperture wall and that provides communication between a temperature reader disposed on the hidden thermal energy transfer surface of the thermally capacitive slug and a thermal energy analyzer such that thermal energy data is communicable from the temperature reader to the thermal energy analyzer;
• and
• a mounting member to mount the high energy arc-compatible thermal capacitance sensor to a support structure;
• the temperature reader disposed on the hidden thermal energy transfer surface of the thermally capacitive slug and in thermal communication with the hidden thermal energy transfer surface and that measures a temperature of the hidden thermal energy transfer surface such that the temperature reader:
• comprises a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector, a thermometer, a thermistor, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing temperature readers;
• is not exposed to the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy by the refractory insulation member that blocks the temperature reader from the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy;
• receives the thermal energy from the hidden thermal energy transfer surface;
• and
• produces the thermal energy data from the thermal energy such that the heat flux and incident energy of the high energy arc event is determinable from the thermal energy data;
• the fastener disposed in the thermally capacitive slug that is received by the fastener receiver and that that fastens the temperature reader to the thermally capacitive slug;
• an electrically insulating spacer interposed between the fastener and the temperature reader and that comprises a ceramic paper washer that electrically insulates the fastener and the temperature reader;
• and
• a mechanical load distributor interposed between the fastener and the electrically insulating spacer.

A process for measuring heat flux and incident energy of a high energy arc event with a high energy arc-compatible thermal capacitance sensor, the process comprising:

• receiving, by an exposed high energy arc receiver surface of the high energy arc-compatible thermal capacitance sensor, heat flux and incident energy from a plasma jet of a high energy arc event, the high energy arc-compatible thermal capacitance sensor comprising:
• a thermally capacitive slug comprising:
• a refractory metal that nondestructively withstands changes in shape, volume, and mass while being subjected to the plasma jet from the high energy arc event for a duration of exposure time of at least 8 seconds and at least 10,000° C. or at least or 8 MW/m2;
• the exposed high energy arc receiver surface that receives the heat flux and incident energy from the plasma jet;
• a hidden thermal energy transfer surface arranged relative to the exposed high energy arc receiver surface so that the hidden thermal energy transfer surface is not exposed to the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy;
• and
• a mounting surface that mechanically engages the refractory insulation member such that mounting the surface is interposed between the exposed high energy arc receiver surface and the hidden thermal energy transfer surface, and such that the mounting surface is not exposed to the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy by the refractory insulation member, which blocks the mounting surface from the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy;
• the refractory insulation member in which the thermally capacitive slug is disposed and comprising:
• a slug receptacle bounded by a receptacle wall and that receives the thermally capacitive slug such that the receptacle wall mechanically engages the mounting surface of the thermally capacitive slug and fixes a position of the mounting surface of the thermally capacitive slug;
• an output interface aperture bounded by an aperture wall and that provides communication between a temperature reader disposed on the hidden thermal energy transfer surface of the thermally capacitive slug and a thermal energy analyzer such that thermal energy data is communicable from the temperature reader to the thermal energy analyzer;
• and
• the temperature reader disposed on the hidden thermal energy transfer surface of the thermally capacitive slug and in thermal communication with the hidden thermal energy transfer surface and that measures a temperature of the hidden thermal energy transfer surface such that the temperature reader:
• is not exposed to the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy by the refractory insulation member that blocks the temperature reader from the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy;
• receives the thermal energy from the hidden thermal energy transfer surface;
• and
• produces the thermal energy data from the thermal energy such that the heat flux and incident energy of the high energy arc event is determinable from the thermal energy data;
• producing, by the exposed high energy arc receiver surface, thermal energy from the heat flux and incident energy in response to receiving the heat flux and incident energy from the plasma jet;
• blocking, by the refractory insulation member, the plasma jet and the heat flux and incident energy from the hidden thermal energy transfer surface and the mounting surface of the thermally capacitive slug;
• communicating the thermal energy from the exposed high energy arc receiver surface to the hidden thermal energy transfer surface through the refractory metal;
• receiving, by the hidden thermal energy transfer surface, the thermal energy from the exposed high energy arc receiver surface;
• communicating the thermal energy from the hidden thermal energy transfer surface to the temperature reader;
• receiving, by the temperature reader, the thermal energy from the hidden thermal energy transfer surface;
• producing, by the temperature reader, thermal energy data from the thermal energy;
• and
• determining the heat flux and incident energy of the high energy arc event from the thermal energy data.