Development of a Transition Detection Technique Compatible with Conventional Force/Pressure Measurements

A series of transonic/supersonic wind tunnel tests have been conducted to develop and evaluate an approach to a robust and global detection method of the boundary-layer transition location by reducing the Stanton number and comparing with predictions. A transonic wind tunnel test was first conducted to examine the concept by a NACA0012 wing section model, whose two dimensional flow field and relatively thick wing made the analysis simple. A further step with a three dimensional model of relatively thin wings has then been conducted in a supersonic wind tunnel to evaluate the overall applicability of the procedure. The result of the first wind tunnel test was a promising one on the assumption that the model be sufficiently thick. The results of the second series of the tests in a supersonic wind tunnel indicated that the model thickness effect can be compensated to determine the transition location qualitatively, however, the Stanton number reduced from the measurement poorly agreed with the prediction.