Cryogenic wind tunnels: Problems of continuous operation at low temperatures

Abstract

The design of a cryogenic wind tunnel which operates continuously, and is capable of attaining transonic speeds at generating pressures of about 3 bars is described. Its stainless steel construction with inside insulation allows for very rapid temperature variations promoted by rapid changes in the liquid nitrogen flow. A comparative study of temperature measuring probes shows a good reliability of thin sheet thermocouples. To measure fluctuations, only a cold wire makes it possible to record frequencies of about 300 Hz. The use of an integral computer method makes it possible to determine the impact of the wall temperature ratio to the adiabatic wall temperature for the various parameters characterizing the boundary layer. These cases are processed with positive and negative pressure gradients