von Karman Institute Lecture Series
Introduction to Ground Testing 2026
19 - 21 January 2026
Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium (near Brussels)
About
Ground testing facilities have been used since long in aeronautics and aerospace, as they have been developed for environmental and industrial applications. Nowadays they are still major sources of key data for investigations in all fields of fluid dynamics.
This hybrid lecture series (online / on-site) is organized for student and engineers to provide a comprehensive understanding of the design, operation and application of ground testing facilities from all speed regimes.
Highlights:
- General Understanding: Learn about the design, operation, and application of ground testing facilities.
- Experimental Methodology: Gain insights into experimental techniques, data interpretation, and extrapolation to real-world scenarios.
- Exclusive On-Site Presentation: On-site participants will enjoy a tour of the VKI facilities during a lab visit.
- Interactive Q&A Session: Online participants can engage in a dedicated question/answer session, with the schedule to be announced later.
This lecture series is a unique opportunity to learn from the extensive experience and long-standing tradition of experimental testing at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI).
The Director of this lecture series is Professor Olivier Chazot of the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI).
LS Address
Programme
Monday 19 January 2026
08:30 - 09:00 Registration
09:00 - 09:15 Welcome address
09:15 - 10:30 The wind tunnel methodology
Prof. Olivier Chazot, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
10:30 - 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 - 12:30 Subsonic wind tunnels 1
Prof. Benoit Bottin, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics and ISIB
12:30 - 14:00 Lunch
14:00 - 15:15 Subsonic wind tunnels 2
Prof. Benoit Bottin, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics and ISIB
15:15 - 15:45 Coffee break
15:45 - 17:00 Visit of the L1 & S1 facilities
17:00 Reception
Tuesday 20 January 2026
09:00 - 10:15 Wind tunnel development for the Environemental and Applied Fluid Dynamics Department
Prof. Jereon van Beeck, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
10:15 - 10:45 Coffee break
10:45 - 12:00 Transonic & supersonic wind tunnels
Prof. Benoit Bottin, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics and ISIB
12:00 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 14:45 Test bench for turbomachinery
Prof. Tony Arts, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
14:45 - 15:15 Coffee break
15:15 - 16:30 Extrapolation to engine operation
Prof. Tony Arts, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
16:30 - 17:00 Visit of the turbomachinery facilities
17:00 End of day
Wednesday 21 January 2026
09:00 - 10:15 High-enthalpy/plasma wind tunnels
Prof. Olivier Chazot, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
10:15 - 10:45 Coffee break
10:45 - 12:00 Supersonic nozzle design
Prof. Guillaume Grossir, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
12:00 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 14:45 GT strategy for planetary reentry
Prof. Olivier Chazot, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics
14:45 - 15:15 Coffee break
15:15 - 16:30 Visit of the hypersonic & plasma facilities
17:00 End of the day
Fee and Registration
Deadline for on-site registration: 5 January 2026
Deadline for online registration: 12 January 2026
Discount of 10% for online participation