The Impulse Wind Tunnel (IWT) is intended to conduct ground aerodynamic experiment in order to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of flying vehicles at super-and hyper flight velocities.
The IWT belongs to the class of aerodynamic tunnels of short-term (impulse) action and features low consumption of energy resources – compressed air and electric power as compared with the aerodynamic tunnels of continuous and periodic action.
The IWT can model the flight conditions of a flying vehicle close to full-scale ones.
The IWT is equipped with:
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high-speed measuring-and-control system;
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precise aerodynamic six-component balance;
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unit of quick-operating full pressure receivers (sensors) – “comb” to study incoming flow structure;
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automatic “alpha-mechanism” ensuring smooth changing of angle of attack from minus 7 to plus 24 degrees;
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high-precision electronic system of attitude control of flying vehicle tested model in the process of aerodynamic experiment.
The IWT can have two configurations to conduct weighing and venting aerodynamic tests of scaled flying vehicle models:
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for Mach number variation range from 4 to 8 (with working gas heating);
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for Mach number variation range from 1.5 to 3 (without working gas heating).
IWT configuration for Mach number variation range from 4 to 8 (with working gas heating)
IWT configuration for Mach number variation range from 1.5 to 3 (without working gas heating)
Technical Characteristics
|
Realized Mach numbers |
1,5; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8 |
|
Working gas |
High-pressure air |
|
Working gas pressure |
200 atm |
|
Working gas heating temperature |
up to 750 К |
|
Heaters power |
4 х 25 kW |
|
Heaters voltage |
380 V |
|
Nozzle section diameter |
0.3 m |
|
Test section diameter |
0.05 m |
|
Test section length |
0.98 m |
|
Operation mode duration |
0.3 to 0.6 s |
IWT special features:
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possibility of conducting optical investigation of flow-over structure which is required to understand the processes occurring in a flying vehicle flight;
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electronic system of flying vehicle tested model attitude control allows measuring acceleration, velocity and displacement of the model’s center of mass in X, Y, Z coordinates at any time moment during an aerodynamic experiment;
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possibility of conducting an aerodynamic experiment at Mach number М=10.
The IWT operation allows considerably reducing the time and cost of flying vehicles development in the phases of Conceptual, Preliminary and Detailed Design.
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