Design, Construction, and Initial Testing of a Oxy-Acetylene Testing Facility
Location
Havener Center, Carver/Turner Room, 9:30am-11:30am
Start Date
4-1-2026 9:30 AM
End Date
4-1-2026 10:00 AM
Presentation Date
April 1, 2026; 9:30am-10:00am
Description
Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are critical for vehicles undergoing atmospheric re-entry or hypersonic flight, yet ground-based evaluation of TPS materials remains challenging due to the cost and complexity of large arc-jet and ICP facilities. As an accessible alternative for early-stage material screening, oxy-acetylene testing offers simplicity, low cost, and rapid turnaround while still enabling observation of material response under severe thermal loads. In this work, we describe the design, fabrication, and initial shakedown testing of a new oxy-acetylene facility at Missouri University of Science and Technology developed using the ASTM E285-08 guidelines and modeled after similar systems in the literature. This facility provides a controllable and economical platform for studying material degradation mechanisms and supporting the development of next-generation TPS materials for hypersonic and re-entry applications.
Biography
Blake Bowman is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Aerospace Engineering. Blake Bowman is a junior undergraduate student majoring in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Missouri Science and Technology. Currently, he is working with the Aerodynamics Research Laboratory run by Dr. Vigano to push the boundaries of hypersonic technology and their development, with an emphasis on an Oxy-Acetylene test stand for ablative studies. The project requires comprehensive design analysis through CAD software like NX and hands-on manufacturing skills to yield a complete and functioning system. Besides the research work, Blake is also involved with the Mars Rover Design Team and honor societies like Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Gamma Tau.
Meeting Name
2026 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Document Type
Presentation
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved
Design, Construction, and Initial Testing of a Oxy-Acetylene Testing Facility
Havener Center, Carver/Turner Room, 9:30am-11:30am
Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are critical for vehicles undergoing atmospheric re-entry or hypersonic flight, yet ground-based evaluation of TPS materials remains challenging due to the cost and complexity of large arc-jet and ICP facilities. As an accessible alternative for early-stage material screening, oxy-acetylene testing offers simplicity, low cost, and rapid turnaround while still enabling observation of material response under severe thermal loads. In this work, we describe the design, fabrication, and initial shakedown testing of a new oxy-acetylene facility at Missouri University of Science and Technology developed using the ASTM E285-08 guidelines and modeled after similar systems in the literature. This facility provides a controllable and economical platform for studying material degradation mechanisms and supporting the development of next-generation TPS materials for hypersonic and re-entry applications.
Comments
Advisor: Davide Vigano, dvigano@mst.edu