Book Description

Tests were conducted in the Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel (1T) of the Propulsion Wind Tunnel Facility to determine the effects of test section plenum chamber volume on the centerline Mach number distributions, wave-cancellation properties of perforated walls, model force data, and tunnel acoustics at Mach numbers from 0.6 to 1.3. Results were obtained with plenum chambers of four different sizes at plenum-to-test section volume ratios between 8.3 and 0.8. Reducing plenum volume produced no measurable effect at Mach numbers below 0.95. At Mach numbers above 0.95, decreasing the plenum volume increased the internal plenum losses, increased the plenum suction requirements, and increased the centerline Mach number deviations; however, the Mach number deviations were small at Mach numbers below 1.15. Reducing the plenum volume also produced a small increase in the effective wall porosity but had no measurable effect on measured model forces except to increase the forebody drag coefficient at Mach numbers above 1.05. Changes in the plenum volume had no significant effect on tunnel acoustics. (Author).