Optimal configuration of high speed wind tunnel campaign

Wind tunnel campaigns are negotiated between the operator and customer, regardless if the customer belongs to the wind tunnel owner or if it is external. Customer issues a test matrix, sometimes the scale of the model and some instrumentation requirements. All these elements must be optimized/tailored in order to guarantee a successful campaign, while minimizing the compromises. A tradeoff or optimization is required in an early stage of a project, when feasibility is questioned. Optimization of the experimental setup considers as variables scale of the model, stagnation pressure and sweep rate for all wind tunnel runs, selection of the most suitable balance and sting. The wind tunnel operating diagram is introducing the correlation among Mach number, stagnation pressure and blow-down duration. These parameters must be optimally set in order to achieve the best Reynolds matching with respect to customer requirements in a minimum time per run, corresponding to the minimization of the wind tunnel power consumption.Wind tunnel campaigns are negotiated between the operator and customer, regardless if the customer belongs to the wind tunnel owner or if it is external. Customer issues a test matrix, sometimes the scale of the model and some instrumentation requirements. All these elements must be optimized/tailored in order to guarantee a successful campaign, while minimizing the compromises. A tradeoff or optimization is required in an early stage of a project, when feasibility is questioned. Optimization of the experimental setup considers as variables scale of the model, stagnation pressure and sweep rate for all wind tunnel runs, selection of the most suitable balance and sting. The wind tunnel operating diagram is introducing the correlation among Mach number, stagnation pressure and blow-down duration. These parameters must be optimally set in order to achieve the best Reynolds matching with respect to customer requirements in a minimum time per run, corresponding to the minimization of the wind tunnel power cons...