Air/water two-phase flow test tunnel for airfoil studies

A test tunnel for the study of airfoil performances under air/water two-phase flow condition has been designed and constructed. This facility will serve for a better understanding of the flow phenomena and characteristics of hydraulic machinery under gas/ liquid two-phase flow operating conditions. At the test section of the tunnel, a two-dimensional isolated airfoil or a cascade of airfoils is installed in a two-phase inlet flow with a uniform velocity (up to 10 m/s) and void fraction (up to 12%) distribution. The details of the tunnel structure and the measuring systems are described and the basic characteristics of the constructed tunnel are also given. As an example of the test results, void fraction distribution around a test airfoil is shown.Dedicated to the 60th Birthday of Professor Klaus Gersten