An experimental investigation of a large delta P settling chamber for a supersonic pilot quiet tunnel

The mean streamwise flow distributions and turbulence levels across the chamber were measured with a hot wire anemometer downstream of a series of porous Rigimesh plates which were shown to be an effective means of reducing the chamber acoustic disturbance levels due to upstream pipe and valve systems. Tests made with various types of flow conditioners downstream of the porous plates showed that a series of screens was the most effective means of achieving the objective of a uniform mean flow distribution with reduced vorticity levels downstream of the porous components. Frequency spectra obtained across the series of screens show that they reduce vorticity over a wide frequency range for several different initial upstream vorticity conditions. Improvements in the mechanical installation of the porous plates and damping screens and the use of porous plates with more uniform porosity should reduce the freestream velocity fluctuations to the minimum acoustic levels of about 0.5 percent.