Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre gets a new trisonic wind tunnel

• A new trisonic wind tunnel was inaugurated by successfully conducting the first blow-down test at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
  

What is a Trisonic Wind Tunnel?

• The trisonic wind tunnel is used to study the aerodynamic behaviour of flying objects, such as aeroplanes, artillery projectiles or missiles in all three-speed regimes:
  • Subsonic
  • Transonic
  • Supersonic
• This is how it got its name, Trisonic Wind Tunnel.
• This system aids the aerodynamic design of rockets and re-entry spacecraft by characterizing a scaled model by evaluating forces, moments, load distribution, unsteady pressures, acoustic levels etc.

Specifications of the Trisonic Wind Tunnel:

• Maximum Length: 160 m
• Maximum cross section: 4 m

Uses:

• The tunnel can be used for testing various space vehicles in three flight regimes:
  • below the speed of sound(Subsonic)
  • at the speed of sound (Transonic)
  • above the speed of sound (Supersonic)
• The tunnel can simulate flight conditions from 0.2 times the speed of sound (68 m/s) to 4 times the speed of sound (1360 m/s).

Significance:

• The trisonic wind tunnel was implemented through M/s Tata Projects India Ltd with the assistance of industries across the country.
  • The trisonic wind tunnel is a major step towards India’s increasing self-reliance in the Aerospace sector.
• For years, ISRO had depended on the trisonic wind tunnel at the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), now it has its own.

National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL):

• National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru is the only industrial wind tunnel providing high-speed aerodynamic data for national aerospace programmes for:
  • civil sectors
  • military sectors
• The 1.2m trisonic wind tunnel was built by the CSIR between 1963 and 1967.
• It has recently commemorated its 55 years.
• The highest speed of this tunnel is Mach 4.0 which is four times the speed of sound.
• DRDO’s missiles such as Agni, Akaash, Prithvi, Pralay, SRSAM, LRSAM, ASTRA, NAG, LRAShM, BrahMos, Nirbhay, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, etc. were characterized in this facility.
• Aerodynamic characterisation of the ISRO’s launch vehicles such as ASLV, PSLV, SLV, SSLV, GSLV, RLV and GAGANYAAN programmes was carried out extensively.