Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit
AEDC Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit (APTU) is a blowdown hypersonic wind tunnel driven by a combustion air heater (CAH).[1] The facility is owned by the United States Air Force and operated by Aerospace Testing Alliance.
| Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit | |
|---|---|
 FaCET Test in the APTU | |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | US Air Force |
| Role | Test Facility |
| Nickname(s) | APTU |
History edit
The AEDC Aerodynamic and Propulsion Test Unit started out as a vitiated air heater (VAH) conducting over 275 experiments for the development of many different aerodynamic and aerothermal systems. Upgrades to the facility started in 2002 in order to provide ground-test capability for supersonic and hypersonic systems up to flight speeds of Mach 8.[citation needed]
Capabilities edit
The facility was designed to provide ground-based simulations of supersonic and hypersonic flight conditions. The combustion air heater can provide total pressures from 200 psia to 2,800 psia (13.6 atm to 190.5 atm) and a total temperatures from 1,200°R to 4,700°R (667 K to 2,611 K). Five nozzles ranging from Mach 3.2 to Mach 7.1 are currently available.[2]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "AEDC reaches major milestone with hypersonic engine testing". Archived from the original on 2010-07-31. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-26. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links edit
- Arnold Engineering Development Center (official)