Fabrication and Testing of a Benchtop Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Document Type
Event
Faculty Mentor
Michael Davis
Abstract
Supersonic wind tunnels are valuable tools for studying compressible flow phenomena such as shock waves and expansion fans, but they are often inaccessible in undergraduate laboratories due to their cost and complexity. This project continued the development of a compact benchtop supersonic wind tunnel designed to visualize compressible flow and support hands-on learning. Building on a previous capstone design, this work focused on completing the fabrication of the tunnel, making it operational, and experimentally testing its performance. The wind tunnel is based on converging-diverging nozzle theory to accelerate air to supersonic speeds in the test section. The system was constructed using laser-cut acrylic plates sealed with gaskets to safely contain pressurized airflow while providing optical access for flow visualization. A Schlieren imaging system was integrated to observe density gradients caused by high-speed flow. Experimental testing was conducted using pressurized air, and pressure measurements and Schlieren images were collected to evaluate tunnel performance and compare results with theoretical predictions and prior CFD simulations. Results demonstrate that a small-scale supersonic wind tunnel can successfully generate observable compressible flow phenomena while remaining compact and suitable for undergraduate laboratory use. This system provides a cost-effective educational platform for visualizing high-speed aerodynamics and will serve as a reusable tool for future thermofluids and compressible flow experiments at the University of Southern Maine.
Fabrication and Testing of a Benchtop Supersonic Wind Tunnel
Supersonic wind tunnels are valuable tools for studying compressible flow phenomena such as shock waves and expansion fans, but they are often inaccessible in undergraduate laboratories due to their cost and complexity. This project continued the development of a compact benchtop supersonic wind tunnel designed to visualize compressible flow and support hands-on learning. Building on a previous capstone design, this work focused on completing the fabrication of the tunnel, making it operational, and experimentally testing its performance. The wind tunnel is based on converging-diverging nozzle theory to accelerate air to supersonic speeds in the test section. The system was constructed using laser-cut acrylic plates sealed with gaskets to safely contain pressurized airflow while providing optical access for flow visualization. A Schlieren imaging system was integrated to observe density gradients caused by high-speed flow. Experimental testing was conducted using pressurized air, and pressure measurements and Schlieren images were collected to evaluate tunnel performance and compare results with theoretical predictions and prior CFD simulations. Results demonstrate that a small-scale supersonic wind tunnel can successfully generate observable compressible flow phenomena while remaining compact and suitable for undergraduate laboratory use. This system provides a cost-effective educational platform for visualizing high-speed aerodynamics and will serve as a reusable tool for future thermofluids and compressible flow experiments at the University of Southern Maine.
