Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:41:31.696Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Part Played by Wind Tunnels in Modern Aeronautics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

G. M. Lilley
G. M. Lilley*
Affiliation:
College of Aeronautics
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary:

The wind tunnel has been the main instrument for experimental research in aeronautics since the turn of the century and its history is as brief as powered flight itself. It has always played a leading rdle in aeronautics right from the time of the Wright Brothers to the present day.

The early form of wind tunnels as developed at the National Physical Laboratory and other research establishments have been replaced over the years by larger and more elaborate facilities, each having a particular speed range and specific role in aeronautical research and development. Modern wind tunnels having continuous operation of the type installed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment involve powers of up to 100 000 h.p. and cost in the neighbourhood of £10 000 000. In spite of this cost it is a sobering thought that, if anything, the overall cost of each data point is less today than it was in the early days of aeronautics. Such tunnels are highly complex instruments for research and development and although they play a rôle similar in many respects to that of a computer, they have the advantage of always dealing with a real fluid. Indeed no known computer could cope with the range of problems that can be solved in a wind tunnel, ranging from such complex problems as the structure of turbulent flow to the pressures in separated flow regimes, to quote just two examples. This fact must always be kept in perspective when arguments are presented for more and more work on digital computers to solve basic fluid motion problems. Of course we cannot overlook the problems of interpretation of wind tunnel data and the difficulties encountered in extrapolating these data to flight conditions.

The development of theories for such problems together with answers is of ever increasing importance, especially as the problems in aeronautics are becoming more and more complex. These solutions have the important function not only of high-lighting certain aspects of the flow, but of pin-pointing the important parameters in a problem together with providing better than order of magnitude results. However, theories must be based on physical facts and these can only be determined in the final analysis from experiments.

The wind tunnel has three highly significant roles in modern aeronautics:

  • (i) Experimental research as a forerunner to future theoretical research.

  • (ii) Experimental research as a confirmation and extension of theory.

  • (iii) Current research and development work on a given aircraft.

The current trend in bringing strong theoretical and experimental groups together, plus the employment of rapid measurement techniques in wind tunnels, promises the greatest possible productive utilisation of these highly important and expensive facilities. In most cases today they are playing a strong, if not the leading, role in aeronautical development.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 67 , Issue 632 , August 1963 , pp. 463 - 475
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1963

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Hills, R. A.Use of Wind Tunnel Model Data in Aerodynamic Design. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 55, p. 1, January 1951.Google Scholar
2.Prandtl, L.Uber Flussigkeitsbewegung bei sehr kleiner Reibung. Proc. 3rd Int. Maths. Congress, Heidelberg, 1904.Google Scholar
3.Pritchard, J. L.The Wright Brothers and the Royal Aeronautical Society. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 57, p. 742, December 1953.Google Scholar
4.Dryden, H.L.The Aeronautical Research Scene—Goals, Methods and Accomplishments. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 53, p. 623, July 1949.Google Scholar
5.Pozniak, O. Investigation into the Useof Freon-12 asa Working Medium in a High Speed Wind Tunnel.C. of A. Note 72. 1957.Google Scholar
6.Hammitt, A. G. The Development of a Helium Hypersonic Wind Tunnel and the Investigation of Hypersonic Flow About Simple Bodies. Princeton University Aero. Eng. Report 253, 1954.Google Scholar
7.Holder, D. W.Experimental Facilities and Measuring Techniques. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 63, p. 493, September 1959.Google Scholar
8.Collar, A. R.Aeroelasticity—Retrospect and Prospect, Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol.63, p. 1, January 1959.Google Scholar
9.Williams, W. C., Drake, Hubertm. and Fischel, J. Comparisonof Flight and Wind TunnelMeasurementsof High Speed Aeroplane, Stability and Control Characteristics. NACA TN 3859, 1956.Google Scholar
10.Turner, K. J. Measurements of Dynamic Stability from Three Simplified FreeFlight Modelsof a Supersonic Research Aircraft(Bristol E.R.134) over theMachNumber Range 1·2 to 2·6. RAE Report Aero. 2648, 1961.Google Scholar
11.Townsend, A. A.Structure of. Turbulent Shear Flows (C.U.P.), 1956.Google Scholar
12.Grant, H. L.The Large Eddies of Turbulent Motion. J. Fluid Mech., Vol. 4, Part 2, p. 149, June 1958.Google Scholar
13.Wooldridge, C. E. and Willmarth, W. W. Measurements of the Correlation Between the Fluctuating Velocities and the Fluctuating Wall Pressure in a Thick Turbulent Boundary Layer. University of Michigan Rep. 02920-2-T, April 1962.Google Scholar
14.Gadd, G. E., Holder, D. W. and Regan, J. D.An Experimental Investigation of the Interaction Between Shock Waves and Boundary Layers. Proc. Roy. Soc. Series, Vol. 226, p. 227. 1954.Google Scholar
15.Davidson, I. M.The Jet Flap. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 60, p. 25, January 1956.Google Scholar
16.Alexander, A. J. The Aerodynamics Characteristics of the Jet Wing and Its Application to High Speed Aircraft.U. of London Ph.D. Thesis. 1961.Google Scholar
17.Duncan, W. J.The Future of Aeronautical Research. Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 62, p. 355, May 1958.Google Scholar
18.Laufer, J.Aerodynamic Noise in Supersonic Wind Tunnels. Journal of the Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 28, p. 685, 1961.Google Scholar
19.Marsden, D. J., Simpson, R. W. and Rainbird, W. J. The Flow over Delta Wings at Low Speeds with Leading Edge Separation. C. of A. Rep. 114, 1957.Google Scholar