Margani FRANCESCO, Riccardo NICOLETTI, Lua ARMANI, Seoeum HAN, Antonella INGENITO
DOI Number: N/A
Conference number: HiSST-2025-320
This work presents the design and numerical characterization of a modular supersonic blow-down wind tunnel. The facility targets a nominal operating condition at M = 3.5 and implements interchangeable nozzles to cover M = 2.5–4.5. The design couples Method-of-Characteristics nozzle contours with viscous boundary-layer corrections, a controlled diffuser featuring a second throat for robust startability, and a reconfigurable test section with optical windows and a model support system. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is employed to verify start-up and steady operation under realistic ambient conditions, to quantify test-section flow quality, and to evaluate aerodynamic loads on the structure. These loads are used to perform a preliminary structural analysis to assess the thermo-mechanical response of windows, frames, and structural joints. A preliminary structural sizing is also provided for support legs adopting conservative allowables and safety factors. The results indicate that the facility can be reliably started and delivers a uniform supersonic core at the design Mach number, providing a repeatable platform for airbreathing propulsion and supersonic aerodynamics experiments.