Name : Roll No: Determination of Mach no in the Transonic Wind Tunnel Test Section Aim:

M.Karthick AE12M009 2nd Group

To estimate the Mach number at the test section of Transonic Wind tunnel for the injector pressure of 60PSI & to study the characteristics of transonic flow through the wind tunnel. Description: Transonic Flow The transonic flow is described as the mixed supersonic and subsonic flow. When the free stream Mach number of a flow is close to 1 (M = 0.8) an airfoil placed in the flow will experience a local increase of Mach number over its surface due to the acceleration of the flow. This will introduce a weak normal shock over the airfoil surface as shown in figure -1. Slender bodies (airfoils) will experience the transonic flow for stream Mach numbers in the range 0.8 < M < 1.2.

Figure -1 Transonic Flow Transonic Wind tunnel The schematic diagram of transonic wind tunnel is shown in figure -2. The cross section of the test section is 100 mm breadth X 250 mm height The injector which is the end portion of the wind tunnel by lowering the injector pressure (60 PSI), the flow will enter through the entrance section of the wind tunnel (bell mouth) from the atmosphere. It flows through settling chamber and enters the test section. The Transonic wind tunnel test section is an open wall type test section which is surrounded by the plenum chamber.

Figure -2 Transonic Wind Tunnel Schematic Diagram 1

Name : Roll No: The Transonic flow testing models are very small in size because of the following reasons a.

M.Karthick AE12M009 2nd Group

b. c.

The models (airfoil) which is mounted in the test section, in which the maximum thickness point of the airfoil will become like a throat section of a convergent divergent nozzle, where the flow will get choked and further increase of the mass flow rate is difficult and the flow mach number is very sensitive to the area ratio (for 1 % increase in the area ratio will decrease the Mach number approximately by 10 %). The lateral disturbance decay of the transonic flow is very slow compared to subsonic flows, which limits the cross section of the transonic flow test model. In supersonic flows the shock wave formed in the test section due to the presence of the model will be oblique shocks and they hit the wall and get reflected as an oblique shock again, so the shocks will form a diamond like shape (figure -3). If the model is kept inside the diamond shape then the flow behaviour over the model will not get affected, but in case of transonic flow the shock waves formed in the test section due to the presence of the model is normal shock which will get reflected on to the model itself after hitting the test section wall. The shock reflection problem can be avoided by introducing the open wall test section surrounded by plenum chamber. The normal shock will reflect as expansion fan after hitting the open wall, since it will not affect the flow over the model.

Figure -3 Wedge in a Supersonic flow test section Due to the above difficulties the transonic test model blockage ratio is limited to 2% for 2-Dim and 1% for 3-Dim, unlike 10% for subsonic test model. Measuring Instruments: The scanivalve disc type pressure transducer is used for the static pressure measurement in the transonic wind tunnel test section at two locations. The pressure transducer has 50 ports and it can measure 4 ports/sec. The pressure probes are connected to the pressure transducer, which gives digital display output of the measured static pressures in PSI units. Test Procedure: The injector pressure is lowered to 60 PSI and the flow happens through the transonic wind tunnel test section. The static pressures at 2 locations are measured by the pressure transducer and recorded in the data acqution system. The injector valve is closed after confirming the record. Analysis and results: The inlet pressure (atmospheric pressure) P0 = 14.56020 PSI. The absolute pressure = Gauge Pressure + Error + Atmospheric pressure. 0 @ = 2
1

1 2

Name : Roll No: Gauge Static Pressure (PSI) Mach Number @ Test Section 0.8844

M.Karthick AE12M009 2nd Group

Port

Gauge Error (PSI)

Absolute Pressure (PSI)

Average (P1 +P2)/2

P0/P

1 2

-5.520 8.9712 -0.069 8.7552 1.6630 -5.952 8.5392 Table -1 Measured and calculated values

The Mach numbers at the test section for the different injector pressure values are given in table -2 and plotted in figure -4. The values are obtained from the other batch experiment results. Injector Pressure / Mach Atmospheric Number Pressure 65 5.464 0.9217 60 5.121 0.8844 55 4.777 0.8600 50 4.434 0.8337 45 4.091 0.7977 40 3.747 0.7502 Table -2 Mach No for different Injector Pressures Injector Gauge Pressure (PSI)

Figure -3 Pressure Ratio Vs Mach No. Conclusion: The Mach number at the transonic wind tunnel test section is measured and the behaviour of the transonic flow in a wind tunnel is studied. From figure -3 it is observed that to increase the Mach number by 0.15, the injector pressure ratio has to be increased by ~ 3 times.