School of Aerospace Engineering

Supersonic Windtunnels
For supersonic wind tunnels, closed circuit tunnel requires less power to operate then open tunnels
do not have to accelerate flow as much
Nozzle M<1 M>1 Test Section Diffuser M<1

Compressor

Use two CD nozzles (really nozzle and diffuser)

need subsonic flow (compressors) less po loss than using shock to get subsonic flow $(

Starting Problem Windtunnels -1

Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

School of Aerospace Engineering

Starting Problem
What happens during tunnel startup
po
M<1 Test Section

pb

no initial velocity pressure uniform throughout tunnel Compressor start tunnel by changing po/pb using compressor

As raise po/pb, start with subsonic flow everywhere

eventually reach M=1 at 1st throat (if A t1A t2)
p/po
1
pb Mtest<1
o

p*/p

M<1 M=1 A t1

M<1

M<1 A t2

x
Starting Problem Windtunnels -2 Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

$(

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Starting Shock
Further increase in po/pb
normal shock in diverging section of nozzle
M<1 =1 >1 M<1 M<1

A t1
4

A t2
60

p o2 /p 01,(s 2-s 1 )/R

Can At2=At1?
A* increase across shock (A2*/A1* ~ po1/po2) to get same mass flowrate through 2nd throat, At2>At1

=1.4

(s2-s 1)/R

50 40
A*2 /A*1

30

po2/po1=o2/o1
1

20

2/A*1

10 0

How big does At2 have to be?

Starting Problem Windtunnels -3 Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

biggest po loss for strongest shock shock in test section

M1

$(

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Swallowing Shock
So raise po/pb until shock enters test section
M in test section = M2 after shock
M<1 =1 >1 M2 <1 M<1 =1 <1

A t1
M1=Mtest

A t2

To have shock M<1 disappear, must pass through 2nd throat

=1

M=Mtest>1

>1 >1

>1

A t1

A t2

At2=A2*@M2 after shock at Mtest increase po/pb slightly above previous case shock leaves test section, enters diffuser A2* drops (M); shock keeps going; shock swallowed
$(

Starting Problem Windtunnels -4 Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

School of Aerospace Engineering

Operating Conditions
Want to run tunnel with lowest power requirements
M<1 =1 Mdesign>1 M>1 >1 >1

lowest po loss operate with weakest shock possible

A t1

A t2

Fixed diffuser throat area

weakest shock (M lowest) when it is at diffuser throat more stable operation (for po/pb variations) if shock just downstream of throat
M>1 >1 <1

A t2

Variable diffuser throat area

lowest po loss for no shock (M=1) reduce At2 to At1 (stability,At2=At1+)
Starting Problem Windtunnels -5 Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

M>1 =1

<1

A t2

$(

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Example: Windtunnel Design

Given: Supersonic windtunnel designed to run on N2 (nitrogen) and operate at Mtest=3, 1 m2 test section
po
M>1 Test Section Compressor

pb

Find: 1. Minimum diffuser throat area to start tunnel i.e., get supersonic flow in test section 2. Maximum po loss during startup 3. Minimum po loss during operation for fixed area diffuser Assume: TPG/CPG with =1.4
Starting Problem Windtunnels -6 Copyright 2001 by Jerry M. Seitzman. All rights reserved.

$(