The Oxford High Density Tunnel

Abstract

This paper summarises the design, operation and installation of the High Density Tunnel at The University of Oxford. Developed in the early 1960’s, the facility has been used in various operating modes throughout its life. Acquired from Qinetiq in 2012, the facilty has been refurbished and is currently undergoing installation at The University of Oxford as a cold hypersonic aerodynamic facility. The facility will be operated as either a Ludwieg tube or a Light Isentropic Compression Heating (LICH) tunnel and will be capable of generating flows with test times up to 70 ms and cores larger than 200 mm. This paper describes the infrastrucre, operation and associated instrumentation for the facility and the current progress in commissioning.