Experiments on Transition Physics in Hypersonic Boundary Layers: Validation Data for Modeling and Computations

Abstract

PubliC reportmg burden for this collection of information 1 s estimated to average 1 hour per response . including the t1me for rev1ewing mstructlons. searchmg ex1 sting data sources . gathenng and ma1 ntaimng the data needed. and com ple ting and rev1 ev.1ng this collect1on o f information Send comments regard1ng this burden e stimate or any other aspect of th1s collect1on o f informa ti on. includ1ng suggesti ons fo r reducmg The Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (M6QT) , the hypersonic low-disturbance facility formerly at NASA Langley, has been permanently installed as part of the Texas A&M National Aerothermochemistry Laboratory (TAMU-NAL) in College Station, Texas. The tunnel now operates interchangeably with the Adaptively Controlled Expansion Mach 5-8 tunnel (ACE) in a blowdown configuration with a maximum runtime of approximately 50 seconds. An initial series of tests to determine the quiet-flow capabilities of the nozzle indicate performance largely consistent with its former operation at NASA Langley, with evidence of a full-length quiet test core at stagnation pressures up to 145 psia. Intermittency present in the pressure signals at total pressures above 80 psia is quantified and discussed. In addition, the capability of the tunnel to support future flared-cone experimental models is demonstrated.