torche à plasma à électrode segmentée

CONT: The new 60-megawatt segmented arc heater, known as H3, significantly improves AEDC's [Arnold Engineering Development Center] present arc capabilities ... Arc heaters such as H3 produce the high pressures and heat fluxes required for testing thermal protection materials used for nose tips and heat shields. Arc heater tests provide information to manufacturers about the probable condition a space vehicle component would experience following re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. An arc heater is basically a large tube that high-pressure air runs through. The air is heated by discharging tens of megawatts of power using an electric arc similar to a lightning bolt. At the nozzle, or downstream end of the heater, test personnel install models or materials and subject them to simulated high pressure and temperature conditions generated by the bolt. Temperatures range from 5,000 to 15,000 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring each component to be water-cooled.