The H2K of the DLR Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology in Cologne is a wind tunnel with a free-jet test section. The facility enables aerodynamic and aerothermal characterisation for scale models of spacecraft and aerial vehicles.
Effects of air and heat in the hypersonic wind tunnel
The hypersonic wind tunnel at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is one of the few key facilities in Europe for aerothermodynamic experiments under realistic flight conditions at hypersonic speeds. The H2K combines free-flight technology and adequate measurement times to provide an ideal test bed for investigations on multi-body aerodynamics. The H2K also generates experimental databases for the validation of computational methods and aerodynamic simulations for hypersonic flight.
The research facility is used for the experimental simulation of aerodynamics during hypersonic flight, for the aerothermal characterisation of aerial vehicles, the simulation of base flow among launch vehicles, aerodynamic measurement of static and dynamic stability, and experiments on multi-body aerothermodynamics, including free flight in the wind tunnel.
Contact
Volker Speelmann
Head of Research Infrastructures
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Executive Board department for Innovation, Transfer and Research Infrastructure
