An Overview of Testing Capabilities at SwRI’s High Energy Annex Test (HEAT) Facility

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed a state-of-the-art testing facility for extreme-condition experiments including high temperatures, pressures, and flows. The High Energy Annex Test (HEAT) facility is described in detail, including several key sub-systems: air delivery, natural gas delivery, fuel/oxidizer gas delivery, fuel mixing, supercritical CO2 delivery, and supporting systems. In addition, several representative experimental campaigns completed in the HEAT facility are described to highlight the facilities capabilities and utility. Recent upgrades to the HEAT facility and testing programs conducted therein have demonstrated capabilities of: 1) high-temperature (< 1,470 °F), high-pressure (< 465 psig), and high-flow (< 14 lbm/s) air; 2) continuous and blowdown natural gas flows of ~725 lbm/hr and up to 1,500 lbm/hr, respectively; 3) accommodation of various fuel sources including, NG, H2, and liquid fuels, amongst others; 4) supercritical CO2 flows at high temperature (< 1,700 °F), high pressure (< 4,000 psig), and high-flow (< 130 lbm/s); and 5) a wide range of experimental diagnostics and instrumentation.