Initial Development of a High-Speed Thermocouple Data Acquisition System

The Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) testing complex includes more than 50 wind tunnels, test cells, arc heaters, and other specialized test facilities. Of these, 27 units have capabilities that are unmatched in the United States, and 14 are unmatched in the world. These unique facilities pose equally unique testing challenges, including several related to test preparation. This paper discusses the initial development of a high-speed thermocouple data acquisition system that is based on smart sensor design principals. The initial effort focused on developing an overall system architecture concept and prototyping the thermocouple interface.