Supersonic
Wind-Tunnels And Diffusers
Figure-1
Shows
the flow through a supersonic wind-tunnel with a wedge type nozzle block.
The computations simulate a blow-down wind-tunnel being fabricated at the
Defense Science Center, Delhi for a Gas-Dynamic Laser facility. Such simulations
have been utilized to design the supersonic diffuser section of the facility.
An oblique shock at the entry of the test-section due to sudden change
in the wall angle creates an adverse pressure gradient in the test-section
and causes the flow to separate. The oblique shock-wave train and the alternate
regions of compression and expansion in the diffuser section due to the
interaction of the boundary layer and the shock-waves results in an undulating
nature of the viscous boundary layer and its overall thickening along the
diffuser section. The problem associated with supersonic tunnels has also
been investigated.
(To
view the animations, move the pointer over the corresponding image)
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