Numerical investigation of nitrogen spontaneous condensation over airfoils in cryogenic wind tunnel

Abstract

Cryogenic wind tunnels (CWT) provide the aerodynamic tests that occur at high Reynolds numbers by operating under cryogenic environment to meet the requirements of hypersonic flight simulation. However, condensation in cryogenic environment near the limited condition destroys the reliability of the test measurement results. Accordingly, research on condensation in CWT is imperative for devising effective control strategies. This study introduces a transonic non-equilibrium condensation model, tailored to evaluate the complex phenomena of nitrogen condensation over airfoils. The model was applied to assess condensation effects on the NACA 0012–64 airfoil and the RAE 2822 airfoil under various operating conditions. Furthermore, the study examined the effect of the angle of attack and airfoil shape on the condensation process. The result show that nitrogen condensation near the airfoil is observable only under operating conditions within the pre-condensation zone. Operating conditions of CWT can be tailored to prevent condensation with specific airfoil profiles. The effect of condensation on the pressure coefficient includes advancing the position of the pressure jump and increasing the pressure coefficient of the airfoil intermediate region, particularly within the 20 %–70 % chord length span on the airfoil's upper surface. This primarily affects the measurement of lift coefficients in CWT. In the operating conditions of this study, the lift coefficient exhibits a maximum deviation of 31.4 %, and the drag coefficient shows a maximum deviation of 2.4 %. The transonic spontaneous condensation model offers an approach to evaluate condensation's impact on airfoil tests within CWT. The findings introduce a methodological framework for effectively controlling condensation phenomena.