Wind tunnel flow quality and data accuracy requirements

Abstract : This report deals with flow quality and data accuracy requirements for wind tunnel testing. The emphasis is on transonic test conditions. Two conveners, one from each side of the Atlantic, were appointed by the TES subcommittee. The conveners brought together the foremost workers for purposes of discussing the current level of testing technology, what are the requirements of the future, and what needs to be done. It was found in more than a few situations, the requirements for data accuracy and flow quality are not well defined. The requirements that are compiled represent the current thinking. To aid in understanding the impact of flow quality and data accuracy, included in this study is a detailed examination of their contributions to the test results of a transport-type configuration. The approach can be adapted to other types. The result of this effort correlate well with what is generally accepted. The result of this effort brought focus on the need to document the flow quality in each facility and that the measurements should include a standard set of both instrumentation and data reduction methods.