Wind Tunnel

Gayon, Jio Ross Godfrey S.

Oarde, Kevin Victor L.
Zaide, John Chester A.
AE 412
6/17/2013

Benjamin Robins
George Cayley

Osborne Reynolds
Hiram Maxim
Wright Brothers

Frank Wenham

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Introduction
What is a Wind Tunnel?
a

facility that provides a controllable

flow field for investigating various
flow
phenomena
and
testing
aerodynamic models
a tool used in aerodynamic research
to study the effects of air moving past
solid objects
*** Advantage: experiments can be performed under well-controlled
flow circumstances compared to open environment experiments
Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex ,

NASA Ames Research Center, United States

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Classifications of Wind Tunnel

n
n
n

Aeronautical Wind Tunnels

Automobile Tunnels
Aeroacoustic Tunnels

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Aeronautical Wind Tunnels

High Reynolds Number Tunnels
Pressurized Tunnels
Heavy Gas Tunnels
Cryogenic Tunnels
High-altitude Tunnels

V/STOL Tunnels
Spin Tunnels

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Tunnels are also classified by flow speed:

Subsonic (M<.8),
Transonic (.8<M<1.2),
Supersonic (1.2<M<5.0), or
Hypersonic (M>5.0)

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Wind tunnels may also be classified according to their

air pressure:
atmospheric
variable- density
or their size:
ordinary
full-scale

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Elements of a Wind Tunnel

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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 straightens

the airflow

*** The less turbulence there is, the

better the wind tunnel will simulate
actual flying conditions

Introduction

Classifications

usually includes a honeycomb flow

straightener
and
wire
mesh
smoothing screens that produce a
smooth airflow; effective at reducing
swirling currents in the tunnel airflow

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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*** purpose: take a large volume of low-velocity

air and reduce it to a small volume of highvelocity air

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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models of wings or planes are placed here

*** As airflow is brought to the

desired velocity, sensors measure
forces, such as lift and drag, on the
test article.
Lift

is the force on the wing opposite the force of gravity.

Lift holds a plane in the air.
Drag is the force on the wing in the direction of the
airflow. An engine must overcome this force to move a
plane through the air.
Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Shapes of Test Section

Rectangular (General Purpose)
Circular (Axisymmetric Model)
Elliptical (Aircraft Model)

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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where the air coming out of the test section

slows down prior to exhausting or
recirculating
a device to lower the air flow speed,
consequently reduce the pressure loss due
to friction

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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provides the force that causes air to move

through the tunnel

*** Fan drive: provide a

pressure increase of
flow, to overcome the
pressure loss in the
tunnel circuit.

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Types of Wind Tunnel

Closed-type
Open-type
Blowdown
Shock Tube

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Open-type Wind Tunnel

open

on both ends and draws air

from the room into the test section

also called an Eiffel tunnel

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Advantages
Low construction cost.
Superior design for propulsion and smoke
visualization. There is no accumulation of exhaust
products in an open tunnel
Disadvantages
Poor flow quality possible in the test section
High operating costs
Noisy operation
Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Closed-type Wind Tunnel

also called an Prandtl tunnel or Gottingen tunnel

*** Air is conducted from the exit of the test section

back to the fan by series of turning vanes; air is
returned to the contraction section and back to the
test section; air is continuously circulated
Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Advantages
Superior flow quality in the test section
Low operating costs
Quiet operation
Disadvantages
Higher construction cost
Inferior design for propulsion and smoke visualization
Hotter running conditions than an open return tunnel
Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Blowdown Wind Tunnel

has a high pressure vessel upstream of the test
section and a low pressure reservoir downstream
of the test section
used for supersonic testing.
Shock Tube
used for hypersonic testing

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Advantages
High Mach capability
Lower construction and operating costs.
Superior design for propulsion and smoke visualization
Smaller loads on model during startup because of faster
starts

Disadvantages
Shorter test times require faster (often more expensive)
instrumentation.
Need for pressure regulator valves.
Noisy operation.
Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Shock Tube
used to study aerodynamic flow under a wide
range of temperatures and pressures that are difficult
to obtain in other types of testing facilities;
are also used to investigate compressible flow
phenomena and gas phase combustion reactions

Introduction

Classifications

Elements

Types Shapes Flow Visualization

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Flow Visualization
aids

the people to see the movement of air while

inside the wind tunnel
used to make the flow patterns visible

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Qualitative
Smoke
Tufts
Evaporating Suspensions
Oil
Fog
Sublimation

Optical
Shadowgraph
Schlieren Photography
Interferometry

Quantitative
Particle Tracking Velocimetry
Particle Image Velocimetry
Laser Speckle Velocimetry
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Optical Methods
ShadowgraphSchlieren Photography

Inferometry

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Qualitative Methods
Smoke-

Evaporating Suspensions

Tufts-

FogOil-

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Quantitative Methods
Particle Tracking Velocimetry
Particle Image Velocimetry
Laser Speckle Velocimetry

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