A New Method of Modeling Underexpanded Exhaust Plumes for Wind Tunnel Aerodynamic Testing

A new method for modeling hot underexpanded exhaust plumes with cold model scale plumes in aerodynamic wind tunnel testing has been developed. The method is applicable to aeropropulsion testing where significant interaction between the exhaust and the free stream and aftbody may be present. The technique scales the model and nozzle external geometry, including the nozzle exit area, matches the model jet to free-stream dynamic pressure ratio to full-scale jet to free-stream dynamic pressure ratio, and matches the model thrust coefficient to full-scale thrust coefficient. The technique does not require scaling of the internal nozzle geometry. A generalized method of characteristic computer code was used to predict the plume shapes of a hot (γ = 1.2) half-scale nozzle of area ratio 3.2 and of a cold (γ = 1.4) model scale nozzle of area ratio 1.3, whose pressure ratio and area ratio were selected to satisfy the above criteria and other testing requirements. The plume shapes showed good agreement. Code validity was checked by comparing code results for cold air exhausting into a quiescent atmosphere to pilot surveys and shadowgraphs of model nozzle plumes taken in a static facility.