Advanced Measurement Techniques for Cryogenic Testing

Abstract

Future generations of aircraft will be developed applying “High Reynolds Number Design”, using advanced computational aerodynamics and industry-scale cryogenic wind tunnels which enable aerodynamic optimization tests for flight Reynolds numbers on scaled models. For validation purposes and to further improve the computational techniques, accurate aerodynamic field-data must be supplied during the design process including transition locations, surface pressure distributions, velocity fields and acoustic field data. Thus, modern image based measurement techniques commonly used in “warm” industrial wind tunnels have to be made also available for productive testing in cryogenic wind tunnels.