T6 Piston Reflected Shock
University of Oxford
The T6 Stalker Tunnel (T6) is Europe’s highest speed wind tunnel, capable of producing flows in excess of 20 km/s. It is a multi-mode facility, capable of operation either as reflected shock tunnel, an expansion tunnel or a shock tube. The facility is driven by the T3 free piston driver, designed by the late Prof. Ray Stalker, being one of the most powerful created in the world. The facility was developed by the University of Oxford (McGilvray and Doherty) in collaboration with the University of Queensland (Morgan and Gildfind).
- Location:
- Oxford
- Test Section 1 size:
- 0.9 x 0.9 x 1.2 m
- Test Section 2 (Return) size:
- Test flow size: 0.2 - 0.3 m (diameter)
- Designation:
- Intermittent blowdown
- Performance:
-
Mach Number: 6, 7 and 8
Maximum Flow Speed: 8 km/s
Reynolds No: 50x10⁶ /m
Total Pressure: 75 MPa (max)
Temperature: up to 5,000 K
Run Time: up to 3 ms
Typical Recharge Time: 1 hr
- Testing Capabilities:
-
Model Support: Remote actuated support (+/-20 degree AoA and +/-10 degree BoA)
Data Acquisition: NI PXI –128 channels @ 2 MHz/channel. 4 Channel Oscilloscope up 5 GHz.
Freeflight DAQ up to 6 channels, 20 kHz
Data Ports: 3 x 35 channel
Measurement hardware:
Megahertz Schlieren at full HD resolution, laser based optics, high response pressure transducers, high response bespoke thin film heat transfer gauges, high current and voltage power supplies.
- Specialist Rigs:
- Boundary layer stability and transition
Supersonic/Hypersonic Intake
Supersonic combustion studies
Freeflight testing
Thin Film Gauge sensitivity and frequency response calibration
Pressure transducer sensitivity and frequency response calibration - Equipment:
- Data Acquisition
• Separate NI PXI chassis, 64 channels @ 2 MHz each + 128 channels @ 2 MHz aggregate
• LeCoy 4 channel, 5 GHz oscilliscope
• In-house free flight data acquisition for 6 channels up to 20 kHz
Probe measurements
• 16 x PCB-134 pressure transducer (up to 1 MHz)
• 24 x Kulite XTL-140M (up to 250 kHz)
• 48 channels of thin film signal conditioning up to 1 MHz
• DANTEC 3 hot wire annemometer u to 400 kHz
• Advanced thermochromic liquid crystal
Actuated traverse systems for T6 & HDT
• +/- 15 deg AoA. +/- 5 deg BoA
Optical equipment
• Specialised Imaging Kirana camera (up to 5 MHz)
• Photron Mini UX-100 camera (up to 1 MHz)
• LED light source up to 1 MHz
• Focussed Schlieren optics up to 300 mm
Laser Equipment
• Laser Quantum 671 nm DPSS laser (LIGTS)
• Oxiuum low noise 532 nm DPSS laser (FLDI)
• Continuum Powerlite 8000 Nd:Yag laser (PLIF)