Localization, Characterization, and Modeling of Freestream Disturbances in Hypersonic Wind Tunnels

Hypersonic ground-test facilities are critical for evaluating aerodynamic forces, aerothermodynamic heating, and boundary-layer transition (BLT) behavior on high-speed flight vehicles. However, conventional hypersonic wind tunnels are plagued by high-intensity freestream noise present in the test section. Because these disturbances build, focus, and propagate downstream, the fundamental understanding of their evolution may require a potentially deep analysis within the upstream components of the...