Design and analysis of five probe flow analyser for subsonic and supersonic wind tunnel calibration

Abstract The flow angularity in a wind tunnel plays a major role in test section when testing models. The models are being tested at a mixture of flow velocity. Usually a subsonic wind tunnel is calibrated using a normal Pitot tube and supersonic wind tunnels with high efficiency probes. The calibration of a wind tunnel includes determining the Mach number range ad pressure range throughout the test section of the flow throughout the pattern of operating velocity. In the analysis it is noted that the sensitivities of the calibrating instruments are maximum when it is either cone or wedge shaped. When the wedge or cone angles are maximum, more accurate results are also obtained, but it’s not possible to have a maximum angle cone or wedge because of the detached wave and tunnel blockage factors. Hence in order to overcome this difficulties in measurement, a five probe flow analyzer has been designed. The five probe flow analyzer is used to determine the wind tunnel test section parameters like flow angularity, Pitot pressures, static pressures, wave angles, and the presence of test section noise. Over to these parameter, the stagnation states can also be determined using this analyzer. The proposed model is designed by getting optimum solutions from previous analysis and the existing data by considering all the aerodynamic and mechanical loading. This instrument designed is to be tested experimentally after carrying two and three dimensional computational analysis for Mach number ranging from 0.5 of 3. Also it is designed to fit successfully for 0.3m and 0.6m test section wind tunnel to obtain reasonably merging solution with theoretical and experimental results.