The Oxford T6 Stalker tunnel: performance, upgrades and new modes of operation

The T6 Stalker tunnel is a multi-mode high enthalpy pulse facility for testing of aerothermodynamics for high speed flight. It operates with a free-piston driver and can be coupled to several different components downstream to become a shock tube, reflected shock tunnel or an expansion tube. This al...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: McGilvray, M, Collen, P, Doherty, L, Steer, J, Leader, J, Glenn, A, Hambidge, C
Format: Conference item
Language:English
Published: European Space Agency 2022
Description
Summary:The T6 Stalker tunnel is a multi-mode high enthalpy pulse facility for testing of aerothermodynamics for high speed flight. It operates with a free-piston driver and can be coupled to several different components downstream to become a shock tube, reflected shock tunnel or an expansion tube. This allows for a wide range of testing from subscale model testing to exploration of fundamental high-speed flow processes. Its development was initiated in 2014 with its first commissioning beginning in 2017. Eight years from its conception, has seen its successful commissioning in all modes of operation. Research has been conducted in several fields including shock layer thermochemistry and radiation, convective heating and boundary layer transition. Additional hardware has been developed to expand its capability and operability. This paper will highlight the performance of the facility in each of its modes now that it has been operated against the overall performance map for the facility. Some of the research performed in the facility, including radiation testing, satellite demise and sub-scale planetary probe testing, is also presented.