Turbulence characterization of the Missouri S&T supersonic wind tunnel
Location
Havener Center, Meramac Gasconade Room, 9:300am-11:30am
Start Date
4-1-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-1-2026 10:30 AM
Presentation Date
April 1, 2026; 10:00am-10:30am
Description
Turbulence in compressible flows is crucial in various applications, such as optimizing air/fuel mixing in scramjet combustors. However, managing compressible turbulence presents unique challenges compared to incompressible flow, as fluctuations extend to thermodynamic quantities, including density. Density fluctuations significantly influence the production term of Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE). Despite advancements in velocity measurement, particularly in supersonic flows, density measurement remains inherently complex. This study refines a turbulence density measurement technique using shadowgraph imaging, tailored for the recently upgraded Missouri S&T supersonic wind tunnel. The developed technique enables the quantification of turbulent density fluctuations within the wind tunnel's free stream. Establishing accurate free-stream turbulence measurements is essential for ensuring reliable experimental testing in supersonic flow conditions.
Biography
Allie Dingfield is a senior in mechanical engineering at Missouri S&T. She has been researching optical techniques for density measurements in supersonic turbulence with the Aerodynamics Research Lab under Dr. Vigano since her freshman year. She will begin her master's degree at the ARL in the fall. In between classes, she is involved in the Christian Campus Fellowship (CCF), is a member of the Honors Academy, is a Kummer Vangaurd Scholar, and plays many intramural sports. She is originally from Omaha, Nebraska.
Meeting Name
2026 - Miners Solving for Tomorrow Research Conference
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Document Type
Presentation
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2026 The Authors, All rights reserved
Turbulence characterization of the Missouri S&T supersonic wind tunnel
Havener Center, Meramac Gasconade Room, 9:300am-11:30am
Turbulence in compressible flows is crucial in various applications, such as optimizing air/fuel mixing in scramjet combustors. However, managing compressible turbulence presents unique challenges compared to incompressible flow, as fluctuations extend to thermodynamic quantities, including density. Density fluctuations significantly influence the production term of Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE). Despite advancements in velocity measurement, particularly in supersonic flows, density measurement remains inherently complex. This study refines a turbulence density measurement technique using shadowgraph imaging, tailored for the recently upgraded Missouri S&T supersonic wind tunnel. The developed technique enables the quantification of turbulent density fluctuations within the wind tunnel's free stream. Establishing accurate free-stream turbulence measurements is essential for ensuring reliable experimental testing in supersonic flow conditions.
Comments
Advisor: Davide Vigano, dvigano@mst.edu