Team members with their prototype.
FEA simulation on the structure.
CFD simulation.
The objective of the project was to design and manufacture a wind tunnel capable of achieving supersonic speeds for the purpose of teaching and research. The group consists of 3 students from the Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering (DARE) and
1 student from the Diploma in Energy Systems & Management (DESM).
The wind tunnel was designed as a fixed nozzle, blowdown tunnel capable of operating at Mach 1.45. Control of stagnation pressure is provided through a manually actuated pressure regulator. The aim was for the flow to be accelerated and an oblique
shock to be formed at the leading edge of a test model that would be located at the viewing window. The shock formation would then be captured using an DSLR camera through the viewing window. Pressure sensors were also installed along the
flow path in the wind tunnel to capture pressure readings. These readings can then be used to calculate the Mach Number of the test section.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to validate the aerodynamics of the preliminary design. Preliminary first order calculations were done to ensure the safety of the wind tunnel. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was carried
out to show that the design is safe for operation. FEA was performed at maximum air supply pressure in case of overpressure owning to the failure of the regulator.
The team successfully implemented the supersonic wind tunnel and generated the shock wave that was aptly captured by the pressure readings and schlieren photography, and validated well with literature.