Effect of Blockage Ratio on Drag and Pressure Distributions for Bodies of Revolution at Transonic Speeds

Effect of Blockage Ratio on Drag and Pressure Distributions for Bodies of Revolution at Transonic Speeds

Author: Lana M. Couch

Publisher:

Published: 1973

Total Pages: 116

ISBN-13:

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Experimental data were obtained in two wind tunnels for 13 models over a Mach number range from 0.70 to 1.02. Effects of increasing test-section blockage ratio in the transonic region near a Mach number of 1.0 included change in the shape of the drag curves, premature drag creep, delayed drag divergence, and a positive increment of pressures on the model afterbodies. Effects of wall interference were apparent in the data even for a change in blockage ratio from a very low 0.000343 to an even lower 0.000170. Therefore, models having values of blockage ratio of 0.0003 - an order of magnitude below the previously considered safe value of 0.0050 - had significant errors in the drag-coefficient values obtained at speeds near a Mach number of 1.0. Furthermore, the flow relief afforded by slots or perforations in test-section walls - designed according to previously accepted criteria for interference-free subsonic flow - does not appear to be sufficient to avoid significant interference of the walls with the model flow field for Mach numbers very close to 1.0.