Design of a boundary layer suction device for a supersonic quiet wind tunnel by numerical simulation

The paper deals with a numerical contribution for a realization of a quiet supersonic wind tunnel. It is known that upstream of the test-section, acoustic noise originating from the turbulent boundary layer of the nozzle walls has an influence on the triggering of the transition on the model itself. The easier mean to avoid these perturbations is to keep a laminar boundary layer along the nozzle walls. Since the boundary layer coming from the collector is already turbulent and cannot be relaminarized, a suction of this boundary layer upstream of the throat is a powerful mean to generate a new laminar one in the test section. The design of the suction device, its position and the suction rate are key-points for the good working of the wind tunnel. The numerical approach presented here, based on the solving of Navier–Stokes equations, has permitted to obtain for a low cost a preliminary analysis of the suction device for different geometryʹs and operational conditions. Results of parametric variations are given and have been verified by experimental investigations.