VIBRO-METER IS USING high-temperature ovens to simulate the operating conditions experienced by the engine- instrumentation system on the European Space Agency's (ESA) Ariane 5 rocket. The Swiss company has developed for example, an accelerometer designed to operate at a temperature of 730°C on the exhaust nozzles of the launcher's Societe Europeenne de Propulsion (SEP) Vulcain cryogenic engines. Conversely, accelerometers for the cold sections of the engine are required to function across a temperature range of -253°C to +125°C. The various sensors have also been qualified for "shock" measurements across a dynamic range of up to 10,000G. Vibro-Meter recently signed a contract with SEP covering the supply of instrumentation equipment for the first 14 production engines for the Ariane 5.
Source: Flight International
