Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
08:53
The Measurement of Unsteady Surface Pressure Using a Remote Microphone Probe
Published on: December 3, 2016
7.1K
A new force-measuring balance for large-scale model in hypersonic wind tunnel
Qinchao Wang1, Shichao Li1, Hongli Gao1
1School of Mechanical Engineering, SouthWest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, People's Republic of China.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|December 2, 2021
Summary
A novel large-scale strain balance design overcomes coupling issues in hypersonic vehicle testing. This innovation enables accurate aerodynamic load measurements for heavy-duty models in pulse wind tunnels.
Area of Science:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Fluid Dynamics
- Experimental Physics
Background:
- Hypersonic vehicle research faces challenges with integrated body-propulsion coupling.
- Scaled-down models inadequately represent physical laws for hypersonic aerodynamics.
- Testing large-scale aircraft models is crucial but difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a design for a large-scale, heavy-load, three-component strain balance.
- To address the coupling effects and stiffness issues in hypersonic aerodynamic testing.
- To enable accurate aerodynamic load measurements for large-scale hypersonic models.
Main Methods:
- Innovative "herringbone" force measuring element design for enhanced sensitivity and reduced channel coupling.
- Integration of a support plate to improve main channel sensitivity.
- Addition of convex plates at the model-balance contact surface to enhance stiffness.
Main Results:
- The developed strain balance effectively minimizes channel coupling.
- Enhanced stiffness accommodates large-scale models in wind tunnel tests.
- Static calibration and wind tunnel tests confirm the balance meets aerodynamic load test requirements.
Conclusions:
- The designed large-scale strain balance successfully overcomes key challenges in hypersonic aerodynamic testing.
- The innovative design ensures accurate measurements for heavy-duty hypersonic vehicle models.
- This facilitates more reliable research in hypersonic flight dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Typical Model Studies
479
Fluid mechanics model studies often utilize scaled-down systems to predict fluid behavior in full-scale environments, such as river flows, dam spillways, and structures interacting with open surfaces. Maintaining Froude number similarity in river models is crucial, as it replicates surface flow features like wave patterns and velocities.
479
01:21Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway
374
Scaled hydraulic models of dam spillways provide a practical way to replicate and study the intricate flow dynamics of these structures. Often built to a 1:15 ratio, these models allow for observing critical water behavior, such as velocity distribution, flow patterns, and energy dissipation.
374
01:12Modeling and Similitude
373
Scaled modeling is a fundamental technique in engineering, enabling the study of large and complex systems by creating smaller, manageable replicas that recreate critical characteristics of the original. In hydrology and civil infrastructure, for example, scaled models of dams help analyze water flow, turbulence, and pressure. This method allows for accurate predictions of real-world behavior within a controlled environment, significantly reducing the cost and time involved in full-scale...
373
01:21Rigid Body Equilibrium Problems - II
7.5K
A rigid body is in static equilibrium when the net force and the net torque acting on the system are equal to zero.
Consider two children sitting on a seesaw, which has negligible mass. The first child has a mass (m1) of 26 kg and sits at point A, which is 1.6 meters (r1) from the pivot point B; the second child has a mass (m2) of 32 kg and sits at point C. How far from the pivot point B should the second child sit (r2) to balance the seesaw?
Consider two children sitting on a seesaw, which has negligible mass. The first child has a mass (m1) of 26 kg and sits at point A, which is 1.6 meters (r1) from the pivot point B; the second child has a mass (m2) of 32 kg and sits at point C. How far from the pivot point B should the second child sit (r2) to balance the seesaw?
7.5K
01:16Measurement of Fluid Pressure
336
Fluid pressure is commonly measured using devices called manometers, which rely on liquid columns to indicate pressure differences. The height of a liquid column in a manometer reflects the pressure exerted by the fluid, providing a simple yet effective means of measurement. Different types of manometers serve specific purposes based on their configurations and the type of fluids involved.
A basic form of manometer is the piezometer, a vertical tube open at the top and filled with the same...
A basic form of manometer is the piezometer, a vertical tube open at the top and filled with the same...
336
01:04Hydrostatic Pressure Force on a Plane Surface
716
When a plane surface is submerged in a fluid, hydrostatic forces develop on the surface due to the fluid's pressure. For horizontal surfaces, the pressure exerted by the fluid is uniform because the depth remains constant. The resultant force is determined by the pressure at the given depth multiplied by the area of the surface, and it acts through the centroid of the surface. For vertical surfaces, the pressure varies with depth, increasing as the distance from the fluid's free surface...
716