The Effects of Air Condensation on Properties of Flow and their Measurement in Hypersonic Wind Tunnels

Author: Grey, Jerry

Year: 1952

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Nagamatsu, Henry T.

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Aeronautics; Mathematics

DOI: 10.7907/HFHE-HR77

Abstract

Some of the fundamental problems encountered in the measurement of flow properties in condensing air have been discussed, and were investigated experimentally in the GALCIT 9 Hypersonic Wind Tunnel. The saturated expansion theory of flow in a condensing fluid as developed by Buhler was corroborated, and some of the unknown properties of the theory have been clarified by analysis of the wind tunnel tests. Several experimental techniques for the measurement of two-phase fluid properties were developed and the results were used to supply additional information concerning the nature of phenomena such as supersaturation and normal and oblique shock waves. No definite conclusions could be reached with regard to future application of condensed air wind tunnel data on the basis of these tests, but the subject of similarity parameters comparable to the Mach number in flow of a perfect gas has been discussed at some length.

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