The University of Queensland, Australia
UQ Home
Search
Maps
Contacts
FAQS
Library
Centre for Hypersonics Logo   CENTRE FOR HYPERSONICS
 
News
Details of Activities
Personnel
Scholarships
Fellowships
Facilities
    T4
CFD
Photographs
Graduated students
 
You are here: UQ Home->Mechanical Engineering->Centre for Hypersonics->Facilities-> T4
T4 Shock Tunnel
Luminosity photograph of an aerospace plane in T4
The T4 shock tunnel began operation in April 1987 and commenced routine operation, after a commissioning period, in September 1987. By October 2003 over 8100 shots had been made. T4 is capable of producing flows with total enthalpies in the range 2.5 - 15 MJ/kg.

Layout of T4 shock tunnel
Layout of the T4 shock tunnel

Personnel involved 

Some of the early T4 crew at the test section
Some of the early T4 crew at the test section, c. 1991
(Matt, Gabrielle, Allan and Rob)

Details of the facility 

T4 - Free-piston driven shock tunnel 
This is a large shock tunnel capable of producing sub-orbital flow speeds at a range of Mach numbers.
  • Compression tube: 229 mm ID x 26 m long 
  • Piston mass: 87.5 kg 
  • Shock tube: 76 mm ID x 10 m long 
  • nozzles: Mach 4, Mach 6, Mach 7.6, Mach 8 and Mach 10 
  • nozzle supply enthalpy range: 2.5 - 15 MJ/kg 
  • nozzle supply pressure range: 10 - 50 MPa
A flate plate at the exit of the Mach 6 nozzle
A flate plate at the exit of the Mach 6 nozzle 

T4 Research Projects 

  • HyShot Project 

    • This is a project to flight-test a scramjet and compare with results obtained in T4.
  • Force balances for impulse facilities. 

    • This research involves the development of balances for measurement of one or more components of aerodynamic force on models in short duration facilities - typically shock tunnels. 
  • Scramjet Research

    • Scramjet research has been conducted with the T4 shock tunnel for the past ten years. Current projects include studies to measure the thrust produced by integral scramjet vehicles, fundamental studies on scramjet inlets and measurement of the drag associated with skin friction in scramjet combustors.
  • Transition in hypervelocity flows. 

    • Surface mounted thin film gauges are being used to detect the development of turbulent spots in a shock tunnel flow.
  • This item is under construction - others to be added.
The Mach 8 nozzle assembly
The Mach 8 nozzle and test section

Other high-speed facilities at The University of Queensland. 

High-enthalpy facilities at other institutions
Back to top 
News | Details of activities| Personnel| Postgraduate Scholarships
Research Fellowships | Experimental Facilities | CFD | Photographs | Graduated students
 
UQ Home | About UQ | News | Student information
Staff information | Research | Services | Departments
Feedback
Centre for Hypersonics
The University of Queensland 
Brisbane, Queensland 4072 Australia 
Phone: +61 (7) 3365 3592
Email: morgan@mech.uq.edu.au
Web: http://www.mech.uq.edu.au/hyper/
Created by: Centre for Hypersonics Web Editor
Authorised by: Director of Centre
Modified: 20 May 2004
© 2004 The University of Queensland