The Langley 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel: Description, Flow Characteristics, and Guide for Users

TLDR

The Langley 14‑by‑22‑foot Subsonic Tunnel is a closed‑circuit wind tunnel with a 14.5 ft × 21.75 ft test section that can operate in closed, slotted, partially open, or open configurations, achieving speeds up to ~338 ft/s in closed mode and ~270 ft/s in open mode. Its purpose is to provide users with the necessary information for planning experimental investigations, including details on test hardware and model support systems. The tunnel is equipped with a two‑component laser velocimeter, an FM tape system for dynamic data acquisition, flow visualization equipment, and acoustic testing capabilities.

Abstract

The Langley 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Tunnel is a closed circuit, single-return atmospheric wind tunnel with a test section that can be operated in a variety of configurations (closed, slotted, partially open, and open). The closed test section configuration is 14.5 ft high by 21.75 ft wide and 50 ft long with a maximum speed of about 338 ft/sec. The open test section configuration has a maximum speed of about 270 ft/sec, and is formed by raising the ceiling and walls, to form a floor-only configuration. The tunnel may be configured with a moving-belt ground plane and a floor boundary-layer removal system at the entrance to the test section for ground effect testing. In addition, the tunnel had a two-component laser velocimeter, a frequency modulated (FM) tape system for dynamic data acquisition, flow visualization equipment, and acoustic testing capabilities. Users of the 14- by 22-foot Subsonic Tunnel are provided with information required for planning of experimental investigations including test hardware and model support systems.