SUPERSONIC WIND TUNNEL FACILITY

The Lab's supersonic wind tunnel is its largest test facility. This wind tunnel is an intermittent blowdown facility with a test section size of 15 x 17 x 60 cm. An unheated 200 cubic meter, 2 MPa pressure reservoir provides testing times of about one minute. The reservoir repressurization interval between tests is typically 20 minutes. The facility has a unique continuously-variable Mach number capability over the range of Mach 1.5 to 4.0 by way of an asymmetric sliding-block nozzle. The maximum Reynolds number capability of the facility extends from 6.5x107/meter at Mach 4 to 108/meter at Mach 1.5. Equilibrium turbulent boundary layers are produced on both the wind tunnel wall and on a flat-plate boundary-layer generator. The typical boundary layer thickness on the wall is 18 mm, while that on the plate is 5 mm. Test section windows are provided for a variety of optical flow diagnostic instruments.

Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction Imaged Using A Planar Laser Scattering Technique