Large Energy National Shock Tunnel (LENS), Description and Capabilities
Abstract
The Calspan University at Buffalo Research Center (CUBRC) Large Energy National Shock Tunnel (LENS) is high enthalpy facility constructed to provide duplication of flight velocities in the range from 6000 to 14,000 ft/sec at typical re-entry altitudes, satisfying a requirement for the experimental study of turbulent compressible flows and real gas chemistry in hypervelocity flows. The design of this facility was based on our extensive and successful experience with the 48 and 96 inch shock tunnels at Calspan. These facilities have been used extensively in fundamental research and testing programs in hypersonic flow and include: (1) detailed surface and flowfield measurements in laminar and turbulent regions of shock wave boundary layer interaction for code validation, (2) studies of window cooling with film and transpiration cooling techniques, (3) refraction and dispersion of light by shock waves and turbulent viscous layers, (4) microwave plasma interaction studies, (5) SCRAMJET performance studies including hydrogen air mixing and combustion under flight duplicated conditions in hypersonic flow, and (6) force, moment, pressure, heat transfer and skin friction measurements as well as flowfield surveys on simple and complex hypersonic vehicle configurations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA338839
Entities
Organizations
- Calspan-University of Buffalo Research Center