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Vertical test section Cologne (VMK)

Missile inlet in the VMK vertical free jet test section.

Design and components of the VMK vertical free jet test section.

Operating area of the VMK vertical free jet test section.

Description

VMK is a “blow-down” wind tunnel with a vertical free jet test section for the simulation of the flow in the Mach number range from 0.5 to 3.2. In this facility, the air flows via a total pressure control valve to a contoured axial-symmetrical nozzle. Downstream the nozzle it enters the test section. It has a concrete tower with overpressure protection, in which the model is either mounted on an angle of attack adjustment device or a special support, depending on the application.

The design and the size of the test chamber enable tests with solid propolents and/or with hydrogen combustion. By means of its heater capacity for total temperatures up to 700 K VMK allows to simulate sea level flight conditions up to a Mach number of 2.8 with a correct duplication of  the corresponding pressure and temperature. On average, up to 10 tests a day are carried out at this facility, with a typical run time of approx. 60 seconds.

Application areas

• Simulation of aerothermodynamic loads on missile components during flight at sea level conditions.
• Investigation of nozzle flows and/or control of missiles via solid propellants or hydrogen combustion.
• Measurements on ram engines.
• External combustion with hydrogen.

Measurement techniques

• Flow visualisation with Schlieren optics and oil flow methods.
• Schlieren optics and oil flow method (up to 150 kHz).
• Steady and unsteady pressure distribution measurements.
• Temperature and heat flux measurements with thermocouples and infrared technology.