Experimental and Numerical Studies of Support Interference in the JAXA 2m x 2m Transonic Wind Tunnel

[Abstract] In the JAXA 2m x 2m Transonic Wind Tunnel, there have been more needs of wind tunnel users for high measurement accuracy to develop aircraft and launch vehicles with high performance. To improve the accuracy of flight data prediction from force measurement data in the wind tunnel, effects of the test section walls and the model support interference need to be corrected precisely in consideration of the mutual interference. Effects of the support interference, especially sting-strut system interference, with porous walls are analyzed by comparisons between a calibration model supported with a standard sting and with a long one in wind tunnel testing and CFD. The sting-strut support interference correction method derived from the CFD results is applied to the wind tunnel data. It is confirmed that the effects of the support interference on the model can be appropriately corrected by applying Mach number correction and buoyancy correction methods to forebody drag. Moreover, CFD analysis of the test section surrounded with porous walls has been improved to investigate the wall and the support interference including the mutual interference.