Notre Dame dedicates new hypersonics facilities

The University of Notre Dame has dedicated two new facilities that will support the school’s research, development and testing of hypersonic propulsion systems. The test cells will be used to examine combustion testing that will help lead toward the development of high-speed flight engines and hypersonic aviation.

The university says the new test facilities at the Notre Dame Turbomachinery Laboratory will build on research currently underway that explores all aspects of hypersonic flight, including aircraft structures, materials and aerodynamics.

Notre Dame is partnering with Atlanta-based Hermeus, a startup developing hypersonic aircraft, and FGC Plasma Solutions, a Boston-based startup focusing on combustion technology.

“The opportunity to work with these two research partners was enabled by the NDTL facility infrastructure investment and the team’s expertise in designing and executing high-energy, high-complexity test programs,” said Joshua Cameron, director of NDTL and concurrent research assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. “The new test facilities will not only support this leading-edge work by FGC Plasma Solutions and Hermeus, but will also provide a critical national resource for high Mach propulsion R&D.”

National interest in hypersonic flight has intensified in recent years, especially in advancing the country’s strategic national defense systems. But Notre Dame says there are also commercial applications, including the airline industry.

The school says getting passenger planes to travel at Mach 6 speed — six times the speed of sound — would revolutionize air travel.