Supersonic Wind Tunnels

● Why do we need supersonic wind tunnels ?

● Types of common wind tunnels

(I) Blowdown wind tunnels (open-loop) which uses high-pressure
gas storage tanks for feeding the supersonic nozzle & the test
section.

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(II) Continuous-duty wind tunnels (closed-loop) which basically
use a compressor and heat exchanger. They are used where long
testing times are required ?.
The main parts of the closed-loop wind tunnels are:
1) supersonic nozzle......to get M>1
2) test section.........for testing purposes
3) supersonic diffuser.......to reduce stagnation pressure loss and
accordingly compressor power required to make up for steady
state losses
4) Compressor.......to start up & overcome all steady-state losses.
5) Heat exchanger.....to cool the air that is heated by the
compressor

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 Nozzle Diffuser
M<1 M>1 M>1 M>1 M<1

M=1 Test section M=1

M<1
M<1

Compressor Heat Exchanger

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 Wind Tunnel Startup Sequence

M<1
M<1 M<1
M<1 M<1
(a) Initial Startup: Power is just applied to compressor &
flow is subsonic through the entire wind tunnel loop

M<1
M=1 M<1
M<1 M<1

(b) First Throat Sonic: Increase of compressor power leads to flow

choking at the minimum area, the flow subsonic elsewhere
M>1

M<1
M=1 M<1
M<1 M<1

(c) Shock in Diverging Section: Additional increase of compressor

power leads to supersonic flow in the diverging & a N.S. there

M>1
*
(A )x (A*)y
M<1
M=1 x y M=1
M<1 M<1

(d) Shock in Test Section Entrance: Further increase of compressor

power leads eventually to a shock at nozzle exit (test section entrance)

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At this point, some notes are due:
1. Stagnation pressure loss is maximum when shock wave is in the test
`section ?
2. Diffuser throat must be larger than the nozzle throat ?.
Hint: recall the isentropic relation of the maximum mass flow rate
per unit area, which suggests that:

p ox A*x  p oy A*y

(A*)x
M>1
M>1 M>1
M=1 M>1
M<1 M<1

(e) Shock Swallowed: Any further increase of a compressor power

leads to moving the shock into the converging section
of the diffuser. But, the shock can not remain there ? (why?)
and moves through the throat where it is said: "The Shock is Swallowed"
Note that, P0 becomes the same for both throats ? (why ?)

(A*)x
M>1 M>1 M>1 M<1

M=1 M=1
M<1 M<1

(f) Shock-free Deceleration with Variable-area Diffuser Throat ?:

Realizing that P0 is the same for both throats, so
(1) Adjust the diffuser throat area to the same value as the nozzle throat
(2) Increase back pressure to move shock backward until it disappears in
the diffuser throat

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 (A*)x
M>1 M>1 M>1 M<1

M=1
M<1 M<1

(g) Shock in diffuser throat (Fixed-area throat):

Increasing back pressure (reducing compressor power)
gradually till the shock is placed in the diffuser throat
(where the lowest Mach number and minimum Stagnation pressure loss ?)

Note:
For both diffusers, variable-area and fixed-area throats, it is suggested
that the shock wave be placed slightly downstream of the diffuser throat.
This is because some fluctuations are always present in the flow ??.

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 T-s diagram of
The most unfavorable starting conditions
&
The best operating conditions for Supersonic wind tunnel

The most unfavorable starting conditions (shock in test section)

ox *x x y *y oy
M>1 M>1 M<1 M<1 M<1

M=1 M=1
M<1 Shock M<1

The best operating conditions for a fixed-area diffuser (shock in diffuser throat)

ox *x x
x2 y2 oy2
M>1 M>1 M>1 M<1

M=1
M<1 Shock M<1

T p ox p oy 2 poy
* Path of states when
To
ox oy2 oy
shock is in test
section is: py
ox - x - y - *y - oy y
y2
*x Tx*  Ty*  Ty*2
* Path of states when
shock is in diffuser
*y
throat is:
ox - x - x2 - y2 - oy2
Nozzle x2 Test section

Diffuser px
x

s
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Example:

A continuous-duty supersonic wind tunnel is to be designed. The test

section specifications are a Mach number of 2, a static pressure of 40 kPa,
a static temperature of 250 K, and an area of 0.5 m2 . Determine the
stagnation conditions required upstream of the test section, the mass flow
rate required, and the throat area required. During the startup process,
what is the maximum stagnation pressure loss across the shock system ?,
sketch this process on the T-s diagram. If a constant-area diffuser is used,
what is the minimum diffuser throat area?. If a variable area-diffuser is
used, explain the startup sequence required to achieve shock-free
operation.
M=2 A=0.5m2
p=40 kPa T=250 K
Test section

Compressor Heat Exchanger

(A*)x x y
M=2 M>1 M<1

M=1
Shock
Fixed-area diffuser steady-state operating conditions
(Shock in diffuser throat)
(A*)x (A*)y=(A*)x

M=2 M<1

M=1 M=1
Variable-area diffuser steady-state operating conditions
(Shock-free deceleration)

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Required:
pox & Tox
A*x
 max
m
po max  (pox  poy ) when shock is in test section
A*y

Solution:
A A*x  1.6875
enter read
M=2 Isentropic tables p p ox  0.1278
T To  0.5556


A*x  0.5 1.6875  0.2963 m 2
, pox  40 0.1278  313 kPa
, To  250 0.5556  450 K
A*x pox
 max  0.04042
& m  176.7 kg/s
To
Note:
Max. stagnation pressure loss is when shock is in the test section,

enter read
M=2 Normal S.W. tables poy pox  0.7209

 p omax  p ox  p oy  83.36 kPa

 A*y A*x  pox poy  A*y 0.2963  1 0.7209

 A*y  0.411 m 2

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 Maximum stagnation pressure loss during startup process (shock in test
section)

ox *x x y *y oy
M>1 M>1 M<1 M<1 M<1

M=1 M=1
M<1 Shock M<1

T p ox poy
To
ox oy
py
y

*x Tx*  Ty*
*y

px
x

If a variable area diffuser is used,

* throat must initially be 0.411 m2
* power is increased till shock is swallowed
* diffuser is, then, reduced to first throat (0.2963 m2) and at the same
time back pressure is increased to place shock in diffuser throat.
Ultimately, a shock-free operation will be attained.

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