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Published: 1997

Total Pages: 431

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The aim of this Symposium was to gather and review both current knowledge and ongoing research on the aerodynamic design and evaluation of ground test facilities, focusing primarily on wind tunnels, in order to provide to the designers of experimental facilities an opportunity to exchange information, ideas, and visions. Shrinking budgets for new facilities have led to fewer facilities being developed and longer development times, which have in turn led to less opportunity for advances in the state-of-the-art and for the retention of the experts needed for the design of good experimental facilities. The normal overriding user objectives, when conducting almost any kind of wind-tunnel test, are obtaining reliable and meaningful data in a timely and cost-effective manner. Principal requirements for obtaining reliable and meaningful data are an adequate Reynolds number, representative or satisfactory tunnel flow quality, and the avoidance of tunnel wall and support system effects. Factors which are important in satisfying the timeliness and cost effectiveness requirements include minimizing the time required for model installation and configuration changes, utilization of efficient data gathering systems, and the ability to use rapid techniques to account for tunnel wall and support system interference effects. Since the aerodynamic design of wind-tunnel circuits has a fundamental first order effect on tunnel flow quality, tunnel wall and support interference effects, and on tunnel construction costs, the adequacy of the circuit design is of crucial importance in meeting the user's objectives.