Transonic wind tunnel wall interference analysis for the Space Shuttle Launch Vehicle

Abstract

The AEDC perforated-wall boundary condition has been incorporated into the NASA Ames OVERFLOW code and has been used to calculate the tunnel flow field in the AEDC Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel (16T) over a three-percent model of the Space Shuttle Launch Vehicle. Tunnel flow-field calculations have been performed for two supersonic flow-field conditions, including one near sonic condition. Wall interference assessments and analyses have been performed by making detailed comparisons of the tunnel flow-field calculations with corresponding free-air flow-field calculations and with tunnel data from different scale models. A capability to assess wall interference at low supersonic conditions and to improve data correlations with CFD results by adding the tunnel wall boundary condition is demonstrated.