Purdue to build $41m hypersonic research facility

The planned $41m Hypersonic Applied Research Facility (HARF) will house two wind tunnels, including the only Mach 8 quiet wind tunnel in the world as well as a hypersonic pulse (HYPULSE) shock tunnel. According to Purdue, the tunnels recreate different scenarios such as spacecraft re-entry or missile flight through the atmosphere as well as replicating engine conditions for extremely high-speed propulsion.

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“Purdue’s rich hypersonics program includes both a broad bench of more than 40 experts and unique capabilities that allow the university to play an important role in the security of our nation,” said Theresa Mayer, Purdue’s executive vice president for research and partnerships. “This first-of-its-kind facility will further Purdue’s capacity to conduct research including tests and evaluations under real-world conditions for faculty, industry partners, federal agencies and other stakeholders.”

The Mach 8 quiet wind tunnel and the HYPULSE tunnel will offer controlled environments to research several facets of high-speed flight. The new Mach 8 quiet wind tunnel more closely simulates flight and provides more accurate data than conventional hypersonic wind tunnels.