Rocketdyne Hypersonic Flow Laboratory as High-Performance Expansion Tube for Scramjet Testing

Although current high-enthalpy test facilities are capable of generating the correct enthalpies associated with very high-speed atmospheric flight, they can not generate the large total pressures needed for the full simulation of the freestream conditions. For accurate aerodynamic, heating, and combustion testing in these ground-based facilities, it is desirable to increase their total pressure simulation capabilities. It is proposed that the hardware fabricated for the Rocketdyne Hypersonic Flow Laboratory (RHYFL) shock tunnel project be utilized in building a large-scale expansion tube: RHYFL-X. Performance predictions are presented of this proposed facility based on quasi-one-dimensional flow simulations. The validity of the numerical analysis is demonstrated by comparison with data from a currently operating expansion tube. The results indicate that the new facility will possess the unique capability of being able to generate test flows that duplicate the freestream conditions experienced by a scramjet during its atmospheric flight.