Abstract
An improved way to increase the Reynolds number capability of wind tunnels has been developed in the United States at the NASA Langley Research Center through the application of cryogenic technology. Cooling the test gas in the wind tunnel to cryogenic temperatures by spraying liquid nitrogen into the tunnel circuit increases the test Reynolds number by as much as a factor of 7 with no increase in dynamic pressure and with a reduction in drive power. Part 1 of this two-part review covers the evolution, theory, and major advantages of cryogenic wind tunnels. Part 2 will describe the development and early application of the cryogenic wind tunnel concept in the United States and some of the major cryogenic wind tunnel activities around the world, the most significant of which is a large fan-driven transonic cryogenic tunnel recently completed at the Langley Research Center.
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