The flow parameters control in wind tunnels is an area of intense research in recent years, with the aim of improving quality and efficiency of the wind tunnel operation. In this paper, an attempt is made to contribute to a better understanding of the stagnation pressure control in supersonic blowdown-type facilities. The stagnation pressure control strategy in the VTI Belgrade T-38 wind tunnel is discussed. An improved mathematical model for a supersonic wind tunnel is suggested and applied to the T-38 facility. Comparisons of simulation and experimental data are made to demonstrate accurate prediction of the facility response in supersonic flow conditions by the mathematical model. The model is used to incorporate a modified feedforward control in the original T-38 wind tunnel control system. The actual wind tunnel tests confirm model-predicted decrease of flow stabilization time and increase of available measurement time, bringing significant improvement in the wind tunnel operation efficiency.

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This paper presents the results of analyses of radionuclide content in the samples of the surrounding soil and clayey material of ?Zbegovi? open-pit mine in Donje Crniljevo, Serbia. Samples from 78 sites were collected and prepared. The activity concentrations were determined for radionuclides: 238U, 232Th, 40K, 226Ra, and 137Cs. The mean values obtained are as follows: 23 Bqkg?1, 89 Bqkg?1, 372 Bqkg?1, 56 Bqkg?1, and 11 Bqkg?1, respectively. Concentrations of 238U, 40K, and 226Ra in the studied area do not deviate from the values obtained for the soil in Serbia. The concentration of 232Th in the studied area is slightly higher relative to average values for soil, and slightly lower compared to similar deposits of clayey material in the world. Measurements performed showed that the open-pit mine of clayey material is completely uncontaminated surface as far as 137Cs is concerned, while there are sites where measured 137Cs concentrations are significantly higher, which is due to topographic differences and inhomogeneous surface contamination of land after the Chernobyl accident. To assess the radiological risks in the observed area, the following indices were determined: absorbed dose rate, annual outdoor effective dose, absorbed dose for biota, excess lifetime cancer risk outdoors as well as external radiation hazard index. The mean value of the estimated absorbed dose rate in the given area amounts to 80.1 nGyh?1, and the annual outdoor effective dose ranges from 46.9 to 134 Sv. Absorbed dose rate for biota in the studied area is 1.31 10?4 Gyd?1. The mean excess lifetime cancer risk outdoors for the population is 3.8 10?4, and t he mean value of the external radiation hazard index obtained in this study is 0.48, which is consistent with the world average. A low dose of radiation will not pose a risk to the population and biota in the studied area.

Over the last few decades, the accuracy requirements for wind tunnel testing have become much more stringent as aircraft industry strives to achieve the best performance of their products. Investments in advanced capabilities are necessary to obtain more accurate test results more efficiently, ensuring that the wind tunnels stay productive well into the future. The VTI Belgrade T-38 wind tunnel responded to these challenges by applying a hierarchical approach to design a distributed multilevel control system, a part of which is the variable-geometry nozzle positioning system, presented in this paper. It follows the hierarchy of the entire wind tunnel control system, with critical positioning loops at the field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and the user interface with real-time data analysis capability implemented on a central wind tunnel computer. In addition to more accurate positioning, the FPGA-based control system significantly improved overall operation efficiency, speed and reliability. Since the nozzle geometry uniquely determines supersonic Mach number, the improved positioning accuracy is verified in wind tunnel tests

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