NSFA 2021-2022:

Analysis of a supersonic wind tunnel

Part I: single-throat configuration

Let us first consider the supersonic wind tunnel displayed in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Baseline single-throat configuration for the supersonic wind tunnel.

This geometry is produced in the nozzle code using icas = 4. The detailed geometry is coded
in the source file euler1D.cpp, subroutine geom. Section 1 located in x = 0 (all positions will
be assumed in m and all section areas in m2 ) is such that A1 = 1 m2 . In this baseline con-
figuration a single throat exists in the wind tunnel, located in section x = 0.5 m, with area
A2 = 0.093 m2 . The test section of the wind tunnel is located between section A3 (x = 1 m)
 2 Supersonic wind tunnel

and section A4 (x = 2 m) with A3 = A4 = 1 m2 . The exit section A5 , located in x = 3 m is such

that A5 = 5 m2 . The wind tunnel is connected to the ambient (pa = 1 bar, Ta = 300 K) through
section 1. The pressure in the exit section is created using a vacuum pump which lowers the
outside ambient pressure pa = 1 bar to pex in section A5 .

Let us first assume a flow configuration such that a 1D shock is located in section x = 2.5 m, at
mid-distance between section 4 and section 5. From the detailed definition of the wind tunnel
geometry (see code sources), it can be checked A(x = 2.5 m) = 2 m2 .
1) • Qualitatively describe the flow in the supersonic wind tunnel in that case (where is the flow
subsonic / supersonic / sonic ? where is the Mach number increasing / decreasing / constant ?)
Use a sketch of the wind tunnel to support your comments.
2) • Determine the exit pressure p5 which creates this flow configuration (1D shock in the middle
of the second diverging section).
3) • Use p5 to set up the outlet boundary condition in the nozzle code and produce a plot of the
Mach number and pressure distribution in the nozzle using the quasi-1D code at your disposal.
Recommended values for the CFL number and number of iterations are respectively 2 and 25000.
Show also a plot illustrating the proper convergence of your calculation to a steady-state. Use
Jameson’s scheme with k2 = 1 and k4 = 0.064.
• What is the Mach number in the test section (x ∈ [1, 2] m) ?

Lowering the pressure from its ambient value pa = 1 bar down to the p5 value computed in
2) requires a large pumping power.

4) In order to reduce the pumping power needed to create the (low) pressure p5 yielding the
targeted test section Mach number, we wish to compute the maximum value of the exit pressure
p5 ensuring a fully supersonic test section (x ∈ [1, 2] m) with the test section Mach number
reported in 3).
• Explain why the maximum exit pressure corresponds to a limit position of the shock at x = 2 m
(inlet section of the second divergent).
• Compute the corresponding exit pressure p5 .

5) • Use the nozzle code to display the Mach and pressure distribution in the wind tunnel
for values of the exit pressure above and below the value computed in 5), leading either to a
shock in the second divergent or to a shock in the first divergent, with correspondingly a super-
sonic or subsonic test section.

6) Let us assume p5 = 0.1 bar.

• Explain why there is a shock in the second divergent in that case and theoretically compute
the location of this shock.
• Use the nozzle code to check the shock is indeed located where predicted (show a plot to
support your finding).

For each calculation, the nozzle code creates a solution file solfin which is stored in the Res
folder. It is possible to start a calculation using the field stored in solfin as initial condition. In
order to do so, you need:

-• to move the solfin solution you want to use as an initial solution in the folder where the
Supersonic wind tunnel 3

nozzle code is located - if the file is left in the Res folder it will not be found by the code

-• to set the initialization key to 1 instead of 0 (line 40 of the input file donnees.txt)
Before moving to Part II, you must move the solfin file associated to the single-throat configu-
ration with pex = 0.1 bar next to the nozzle code, in order to use it as initial solution for the
calculation you will be asked to perform in what follows for the double-throat configuration.

Part II: double-throat configuration

Starting from the previous operating point (supersonic test section for the single-throat wind
tunnel and pex = p5 = 0.1 bar), a second throat is progressively created between x = 1.5 m
and x = 3 m. Figure 2 displays the new wind tunnel configuration along with the one analyzed
in Part I. You will show in the second part of this project how introducing a second-throat
makes it possible to ensure a supersonic test section for a much larger exit pressure pex , request-
ing therefore a reduced pumping power with respect the single-throat configuration. The new
double-throat wind tunnel configuration is produced in the nozzle code using icas = 5. The
detailed geometry is coded in the source file euler1D.cpp, subroutine geom.

Figure 2: Green line: double-throat configuration created for the supersonic wind tunnel. Red
line: previous single-throat configuration.

Indices for the sections are adapted in Part II: section 1 is still located in x = 0 and such that
A1 = 1 m2 ; the first throat is still located in section x = 0.5 m, with area A2 = 0.093 m2 . The
test section of the wind tunnel still starts in section A3 (x = 1 m) but extends now to section A4
located at x = 1.5 m, with still A3 = A4 = 1 m2 . Section A5 denotes the second throat section,
located at x = 2 m and is such that A5 = 1.1 A2 = 0.1023 m2 . The exit section is now section
A6 , still located at x = 3 m and still such that A6 = 5 m2 . The wind tunnel is still connected to
the ambient (pa = 1 bar, Ta = 300 K) through section 1. The pressure in the exit section is stiil
created using a vacuum pump which lowers the outside ambient pressure pa = 1 bar to pex = p6
in section A6 .
 4 Supersonic wind tunnel

7) • Use the nozzle code to compute the flow in the double-throat wind tunnel with pex =
p6 = 0.1 bar using first the initial condition key set equal to 0 (uniform flow at rest) and quali-
tatively describe the steady solution, with a focus on the test section between A3 and A4 .
• Compute the same flow but using now the initial condition key set equal to 1 and with solfin
containing the steady flowfield in the single-throat wind tunnel with pex = 0.1 bar. Such a cal-
culation is representative of the actual operation of the wind tunnel where the second throat is
created with a sonic first throat and a supersonic test section.
• Comment the differences between the 2 calculations (kinit = 0 or kinit = 1).

8) • Using an exact analysis, give the the exit pressure p6 yielding a shockwave at x = 2.5 m.
From the detailed geometry provided in the code, it can be checked A(x = 2.5 m) = 1.32763 m2
for the double-throat wind tunnel geometry.

9) • Using again an exact analyis, compute the exit pressure p6 yielding a shockwave close
to the second throat (at section x = 2.01 m such that A(x = 2.01 m) = 0.1028 m2 ).
• Explain why it is much more interesting to use the double-throat wind tunnel to maintain the
supersonic flow in the test section.

10) The last series of calculations aims at numerically reproducing the operation of the wind
tunnel with an exit pressure equal (or very close) to the one computed in 9).
• Show that when the nozzle code is applied with kinit = 0 and pex set equal to the value identi-
fied in 9), it is not possible to recover a steady solution corresponding to a supersonic test section.

The numerical strategy to apply must follow the actual operation of the wind tunnel:

-• set as initial condition the solfin file corresponding to the double-throat wind-tunnel com-
puted in 7) with a supersonic test section (solution obtained with the proper initialization
kinit = 1 and the single-throat configuration with pex = 0.1 bar as initial flowfield)

-• if you then run the nozzle code with pex set equal to its (large) value identified in 9),
the calculation will fail. You need to increase gradually the exit pressure and to use the
steady solution provided by the code as the new initial condition for the next calculation
performed with an exit pressure value which is again slightly increased.

-• proceeding this way, you will be able to gradually increase the exit pressure while main-
taining a supersonic flow in the test section (the same process is applied in the physical
wind tunnel)

• Provide the successive values of the exit pressure used in your gradual increase of pex and
successive nozzle simulations.
• Provide the Mach and pressure distribution corresponding to the maximum pex you manage
to reach with a supersonic test section and compare them with solutions obtained in 5) or 6),
give a physical comment on the flow solutions plus a concluding remark on the interest of the
double-throat wind tunnel.