Oxford T6 Stalker Tunnel

Through a combined German, British and ESA GSTP funded De-Risk activity, the High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group (HEFDiG)at the University of Stuttgart Institute of Space Systems (IRS), and the University of Oxford hypersonic group adapted their respective ground test facilities.  The Oxford T6 Stalker Tunnel simulates the high speed aerothermodynamic gas radiative dynamics and investigated the convective heat fluxes in a representative H2/He/CH4 environment.

The T6 Stalker tunnel, located at Oxford University, is a hypersonic, multi-mode, aerothermodynamic testing facility. It is Europe’s fastest wind tunnel facility, based on the design by the late Professor Ray Stalker. “The tunnel is capable of measuring both convection and radiative heat flux, and critically provide the required flow speeds for the replication of ice giant entry, with traces of CH4. The tunnel itself operates with a free-piston driver, which can be coupled to several different components downstream to become a shock tube, reflected shock tunnel or an expansion tube. This adaptability allows for a wide range of testing from subscale modelling testing to the exploration of fundamental high speed flow processes,” says Louis Walpot, Technical Officer of this activity.