Air Condensation in Hypersonic Flow

Abstract
The NOL 12×12‐cm hyperballistics wind tunnel No. 4, which operates in a Mach number range up to eleven, is briefly described. Experiments performed in this tunnel indicate that a fraction of the air condenses at or shortly after reaching the dew line for air condensation unless the supply air is preheated. The measured effects of air condensation on the flow at high Mach numbers for a variety of supply temperatures and pressures are given. It is found that of the flow parameters commonly measured in supersonic wind tunnels, only static‐pressure and shock‐angle measurements are sensitive to liquefaction effects. A simple thermodynamic analysis assuming a reversible condensation process allows interpretation of some of the observations.

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