Adapted Wind Tunnel Walls for a Swept Wing Experiment

Abstract

For two reasons infinite-span swept wing flow is of interest: 1) the three-dimensional nature of the boundary layer can be investigated in its most simple form and 2) the quasi-two-dimensional flow field is representative of the mid-section of modern transport aircraft wings. Swept wing wind tunnel tests are affected by strong sidewall interference effects which can be reduced by a contoured lining. The design of such a contour requires the application of numerical methods. A design process is described and the effectiveness of one contour is investigated at different flow conditions. Interferences of the swept wing model with the horizontal walls are present due to a technical restriction of most adaptive test sections, which allow only two-dimensional adaptation. The influence of different horizontal wall adaptation strategies on the wing flow field is shown.