The Design, Fabrication, and Commissioning of a High-Speed Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel for Studies of Surface Pressure Fluctuations Beneath Turbulent Boundary Layers

The High-Speed Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel (HSAWT) at Carleton University is a newly commissioned facility with the purpose of facilitating experimental studies of Turbulent Boundary Layer (TBL) induced surface pressure fluctuations. This research is intended for applications regarding aircraft noise generation from structures exposed to high-speed flow. This open-jet, blowdown facility is unique in Canada and one of a few aeroacoustic wind tunnels in the world capable of achieving speeds up to Mach 0.8.The details of the complete design and fabrication methodology for all wind tunnel duct components, control system hardware, and instrumentation systems is discussed; along with the numerical simulations performed in the validation of the designed components. Preliminary experimental flow measurements and characterization of the wind tunnel control system is examined. The results of initial measurements of TBL surface pressure fluctuations developed over a flat test section plate are compared with established data and empirical models in literature.