ESWIRP: European Strategic Wind tunnels Improved Research Potential program overview

Abstract

“European Strategic Wind tunnel Improved Research Potential” ESWIRP was a project in the EU 7th Framework Program (FP7—Grant agreement no: FP7-227816), which was aiming at improving the performance capabilities of three strategic wind tunnels in Europe, by strengthening the cooperation between these wind tunnels in a new consortium. The research consortium members are Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (operating the S1MA as its largest sonic wind tunnel), German–Dutch wind tunnels [operating the large low-speed facility (LLF) as its largest low-speed wind tunnel], and European transonic wind tunnel (ETW) (operating its cryogenic wind tunnel). Together, these wind tunnels cover a wide range of experimental capabilities of relevance to civil aviation and aeronautical research in general. The project started in October 2009 for a period of 5 years. The European financial contribution was €7.2 million. The project consist of two major parts: (1) improvements to the testing infrastructure; and (2) the provision of wind tunnel access to research groups which do not usually have the means to access such large-scale test facilities. These topics also involved public dissemination and information activities. Although the tunnels covered in this project are of a complementary nature, the infrastructure activities were joined together, by a common representation of, and approach to, the tunnel performance characteristics. To this end, a generic model of a virtual wind tunnel was developed, enabling operators to assess the effect of the control parameters upon the testing conditions. The final aim of all participants was to provide the user community with an improved set of capabilities to test their innovative ideas. To provide better access to these three major wind tunnels, mainly research groups from European universities were contacted. The approach taken has included maximum transparency of the process and support of the researchers by the organizations responsible for the tunnels. In addition, when possible, we encouraged research groups to work together, to obtain the full benefit of economies of scale in research projects. ESWIRP responded to the targeted approach of the Integrating Activities of the FP7 Capacities Work Program: Networking activities, essentially focused around four topics: (1) organization of information campaigns, lectures and workshops to disseminate knowledge between the partners and future users. (2) Opening of a website for the consultation of wind tunnel standards. (3) Exchange of personnel between the Consortium partners, to foster the spread of good practices and the exchange of technical know-how. (4) Joint development of a reference wind tunnel parameter database. Trans-national access and/or testing services: after the call for proposals by the facility providers, groups of researchers had the opportunity to benefit from free wind tunnel services, including technical assistance to support the corresponding scientific research team(s). Joint research activities, innovative modeling of wind tunnels has helped designers to make better decisions, before the implementation of any novel hardware. Based on a generic finite volume type of modeling approach, the operational behaviour and the time-dependent flow quantities around the wind tunnel circuit have been simulated. Such model can be used, for example, to conceive and tune particular sub-system control laws, or explore the implications of hardware changes. Based on a common approach, dedicated models were developed for S1MA, LLF and ETW. The infrastructure improvements targeted the capability to obtain unsteady test data (with high accuracy) in the ETW, to improve the capability to simulate aircraft behaviour in ground effect in the LLF, and to establish a reliable closed-loop control of test Mach number in the S1MA wind tunnel. European Strategic Wind tunnels Improved Research Potential Program is European support for strategic wind tunnels, key research infrastructures in the development process of current and future aircraft. This is the first time that European authorities have given such support.