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Introduction
Wind tunnels are used by engineers to test the aerodynamics of many objects, from jet wings to car windshields. Aerodynamics as a science studies the flow of air or gases around an object in motion. With a better understanding of the way air moves around (or through) objects, manufacturers can devise and create faster, safer, more reliable and more efficient products of all kinds.
About it
Wind tunnels are simply hollow tubes; at one end, they have powerful fans that create a flow of air inside the tunnel. some tunnels are desktop-sized and good for testing only very small objects. Other tunnels are massive structures in which engineers test full-size aircraft and cars. Although the test materials remain stationary, rapid airflow inside the tunnel makes it seem as though objects are moving. Typically, there are sensors and instruments inside wind tunnels that give scientists hard data regarding an object's interaction with wind. And often, there are windows that let those same scientists observe experiments visually. With those data and observations, engineers grapple with variables of aerodynamics such as pressure, velocity, temperature and density. They gauge lift, drag, shockwaves and other conditions that affect planes and other contraptions that speed through the wind. In addition, these tunnels can help engineers figure out how wind interacts with stationary objects, such as buildings and bridges, and find ways to make them stronger and safer. In short, many of our modern marvels are more advanced thanks to wind tunnels. But it was the dream of flight that first gave breath to these breezy machines. The wind tunnel the Wright Brothers built helped changed the course of human technological history.
Wenham's tunnel was 12 feet (3.7 meters) long and 18 inches (45.7 centimeters) square. It produced 40 mile-per-hour (64 kilometer-per-hour) winds, thanks to a steam-powered fan at the end of the tunnel. In his tunnel, Wenham tested the effects of lift and drag on airfoils of different shapes. As he moved the front edge (called the leading edge) of the airfoil up and down, changing what's called the angle of attack, he found that certain shapes resulted in better lift than anticipated. Man-powered flight suddenly seemed more possible than ever before. Yet the tunnel's rough design created winds that were too unsteady for consistent test results. Better tunnels were needed for systematic testing and reliable results. In 1894, Englishman Horatio Philips substituted a steam injection system for fans, resulting in steadier, less turbulent air flow. Across the Atlantic Ocean, in Ohio, the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were following developments in aerodynamics studies and conjuring ideas for glider designs. But real-world testing of their models was proving to be too time-consuming; it also didn't provide them with enough data to improve their plans. They knew they needed a wind tunnel. So, after a bit of tinkering, they constructed a tunnel with a 16-inch (40.6-centimeter) test section. They experimented with around 200 different types of wing shapes by attaching airfoils to two balances -- one for drag, and one for lift. The balances converted airfoil performance into measurable mechanical action that the brothers used to complete their calculations. Slowly, they worked to find the right combination of drag and lift. They began to realize that narrow, long wings resulted in much more lift than short, thick wings, and in 1903, their meticulous wind tunnel testing paid off. The Wright brothers flew the first manned, powered airplane in Kill Devil Hills, N.C. A new age of technological innovation had begun, in large part thanks to wind tunnels
tunnel. For aircraft testing in particular, there are dozens of variables (like pitch, yaw, roll and
many others), that can affect the outcome of experiments. Other factors also come into play during testing no matter what the test subject might be. For example, the quality of the air in the tunnel is changeable and has a tremendous bearing on test results. In addition to carefully gauging the shape and speed of the object (or the wind blowing past the object) testers must consider the viscosity (or tackiness) and compressibility (bounciness) of the air during their experiments. You don't normally think of air as a sticky substance, of course, but as air moves over an object, its molecules strike its surface and cling to it, if only for an instant. This creates a boundary layer, a layer of air next to the object that affects airflow, just as the object itself does. Altitude, temperature, and other variables can affect viscosity and compressibility, which in turn changes the boundary layer properties and drag, and the aerodynamics of the test object as a whole. Figuring out just how all these conditions affect the test object requires a system of sensors and computers for logging sensor data. Pitot tubes are used to measure airflow velocity, but advanced tunnels deploy laser anemometers that detect wind speed by "seeing" airborne particles in the airstream. Pressure probes monitor air pressure and water vapor pressure sensors track humidity. In addition to sensors, visual observations are also extremely useful, but to make airflow visible, scientists rely on various flow visualization techniques. They may fill the test section with colored smoke or a fine mist of liquid, such as water, to see how air moves over the model. They may apply thick, colored oils to the model to see how the wind pushes the oil along the model's surface. High-speed video cameras may record the smoke or oils as they move to help scientists detect clues that aren't obvious to the unaided eye. In some cases, lasers are used to illuminate mist or smoke and reveal airflow details. Wind tunnels offer endless configurations for testing limitless ideas and concepts. Keep reading, and you'll see the wildly imaginative tunnels that engineers build when they find the money to turn a breeze of an idea into a full-scale technological tempest.
DIY Whirlwinds
These tunnels are categorized by their characteristics, such as the wind speed they generate in the test section. Subsonic wind tunnels test objects with airflows of less than 250mph (402 kph). Transonic tunnels cover tunnels cover a wind speed range of 250mph to 760mph (1,223 kph). Supersonic tunnels generate winds faster than the speed of sound (768mph or 1,235.9 kph). Hypersonic tunnels create scary-fast wind blasts of 3,800mph to 11,400mph (6,115.5 kph to 18,346.5 kph) -- or even faster.
General Motors owns the world's biggest wind tunnel dedicated to auto testing. The fan has a 43-foot (13-meter) diameter.
Recreational Drafts
Vertical wind tunnels (or VWTs) prove that wind tunnels aren't just for work. VWTs let people skydive indoors (also called bodyflying), a good way for novices and pros alike to learn how to skydive safely and have a blast at the same time. Vertical wind tunnels, like this one in China, let skydivers practice their techniques indoors.
conclusion
For now, though, wind tunnels are still in active use all around the world, helping scientists make safer and more efficient products and vehicles of all types. And even if newer virtual technologies do eventually replace physical wind tunnels, these marvels of engineering will always have a place in the history of humankind's development.