Wes;
Thanks for the interesting web site---I spent a lot of time visiting the
University of Tennessee Space Institute which is on the grounds of that
USAF. They have a large man-made lake just to cool the wind tunnel
compressors and associated machinery and all the roads are lined with tall
pine trees to reduce the off-site noise.
Based on the description, the final stage must use the ionization and
magnetic coils in a magnetohydrodymamic (MHD) accelerator to get up to Mach
15, any other technique would just heat the air without accelerating it--us
old Westinghouse guys did a lot of analysis & design on that process in the
1960s and later, so its nice to finally see a full-scale application.
That Arnold Engineering Development Center had a very large
magnetohydrodynamic generator with an iron core magnet (weighed about as
much as a battleship) but it was destroyed by a fire in the 1980s (don't
think KT was involved!). It was intended to supply Direct Current power to
drive MHD accelerators for wind tunnels. But they must be getting lots of
really huge DC power from some where--maybe they rebuilt the old MHD
generator?
An unusual Air Force Base--they celebrate when a USAF plane lands/takes off
because it's so rare.
Lance
----- Original Message -----
From: "W S Potter" <wester6935@comcast.net>
To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>; "Marlo Treit" <Mtreit@aol.com>
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 9:20 AM
Subject: Air Force wind tunnel
> How would you like to test here?
>
> http://www.rense.com/general10/usafwind.htm
>
> Wonder how they will do this?
>
> Wes
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