Design and Characterization of a High-Speed Subsonic Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel

Abstract

The high-speed aeroacoustic wind tunnel at Carleton University is a new facility commissioned with the purpose of facilitating experimental studies of turbulent boundary-layer (TBL)-induced surface pressure fluctuations. This research is primarily intended for applications related to aircraft cabin noise generation from structures exposed to high-speed flow. This open-jet blowdown wind tunnel is a unique facility in Canada and one of a few aeroacoustic wind tunnels in the world capable of achieving speeds up to Mach 0.8. Flow is delivered from a nozzle with dimensions of 6.1 by 15 cm to a test section enclosed within an anechoic chamber with internal dimensions of 1.9 by 0.88 by 1.95 m. This study details the complete design methodology for all major wind-tunnel components, including the numerical simulations performed in the validation of the designed components. The results of the test section background noise levels and TBL surface pressure fluctuation spectral behavior developed over a flat test section plate are compared with established data and empirical models available in the literature.