High-accuracy fully automatic calibration systemfor impulse balance

Long-test duration shock tunnel JF-12 has been built in 2012 in the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its performance tests demonstrated that the facility is capable of reproducing the pure airflow with longer than 100 ms test time. In order to develop and improve the force test capability in JF-12, a high-accuracy fully automatic calibration system (AiBCS) for the large-load wind tunnel balances was designed and built, based on the characteristics of impulse-type balance. The design process and some key techniques of the AiBCS are shown and analyzed in detail in this paper. The strain-gauge balance with the maximum loads of 15 kN can be calibrated automatically with high-accuracy in this balance calibration system. In this paper, the calibration data of an impulse-type balance by two calibration equipments are also compared and analyzed, where the performance of AiBCS is more excellent. Therefore, AiBCS provides an equipment foundation and technical supports for the development of force measurement in the impulse facilities, like a high-enthalpy shock tunnel.