Facilities

Combustion lab

The combustion test rig at the High-Speed Laboratory (HSL) of the Delft University of Technology has been designed to contribute to the research towards the conception of alternative gas-turbine combustors for low pollutant-emissions. The test-rig is currently able to operate on methane (CH₄) and hydrogen (H₂). The mixture of the fuel can be exactly defines, by controlled dilution with N₂ and CO₂. Before entering the combustion chamber, the gasses are pre-heated by a 48 kW heater, which can reach up to 900K at the maximum operating pressure of 10 bar. The combustion chamber is a clear cylinder for optical access, to allow for Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) of the combustion process. Furthermore, pressure sensors and  thermo-couples are located at the combustor exit for instantaneous pressure and temperature measurements. 

Low-Turbulence Tunnel

The Low-Turbulence Tunnel (LTT) is a low-speed, closed-return closed-wall wind tunnel with an octagonal test section of 1.80 m width and 1.25 m height. The freestream velocity is up to approximately 100 m/s. At typical freestream velocities for our propeller-integration research of about 40 m/s, the turbulence level is below 0.1% (bandpass filtered between 2 and 5,000 Hz). 

A fixed external balance is installed above the test section to allow for measurements of integral forces on the model. A turntable is integrated into the ceiling of the test section to allow for measurements at nonzero angle of attack.

For testing with half models, a separate test section with a 2.055-m long groundboard is available, spanning the entire width of the test section. This ground board represents a symmetry plane for the experimental arrangement, and reduces the height of the test section to 0.995 m. The flow on the groundboard is made turbulent with a transition strip applied at 0.140 m from the board’s leading edge.