WIND TUNNEL

EXPERIMENT

Presented By,
Babitha Benjamin
M.Tech SECM
C306

INTRODUCTION

Information about fundamental nature of wind needed in

many areas for proper design and functioning

Wind Tunnel is a device for producing airflow relative to the

body under test

Majority of experimental data needed in aerodynamics is

generated using wind tunnels

The incomplete theory about winds action on structures is

supplemented by wind tunnel experiment
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CLASSIFICATION OF WIND TUNNELS

Wind tunnels may be classified based on any of the

following:
a)

Speed, Mach No - classified as of low speed or high

speed wind tunnels (subsonic, transonic, supersonic or
hypersonic wind tunnels )

b)

Mode of Operation - Pressure storage, in-draft or

Pressure vacuum type

c)

Kind of Test Section - Open, Closed or Semi enclosed

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APPLICATIONS OF WIND TUNNELS

1.

Aerodynamic applications

2.

Non-Aero applications in
a)

Civil Engineering

b)

Automobile Engineering

c)

Calibration of instruments

Fig.1 Applications of Wind Tunnel Experiment

MODEL MAKING (NON-DIMENSIONAL

PARAMETERS )
Geometric similarity

There should be geometric similarity between the model and

the prototype

It means that ratios of corresponding dimensions in the model

and the prototype should be the same

Dynamic similarity

The flow patterns on the full scale body and the model will be
exactly similar
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The important force ratios can be expressed as non dimensional

numbers
I.
II.
III.

Reynolds number (Re) = Inertia force/Viscous force

Mach number = Inertia force/Elastic force
Froude number = Inertia force/Gravity force

The principle of dynamic similarity is that a scale model under

same Reynolds number and Mach number will have forces and
moments on it that can be scaled directly

LOW SPEED WIND TUNNEL

Low speed wind tunnels may be of open circuit or closed

circuit

Fig.2 Schematic of an open circuit low speed

wind tunnel

The effuser makes the flow ready for the test section conditions

The test section provides the desired uniform flow conditions along
and across the section

The test section conditions are controllable

After each run, the intake gets air fresh from the atmosphere

Closed circuit

Losses in vorticity, eddies and turbulence are unavoidable in the

tunnel circuit

Large velocity causes skin friction and losses due to obstacles will
be correspondingly large
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Fig.3 Schematic of an closed circuit

low speed wind tunnel
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IRREGULARITIES OF FLOW IN LOW SPEED TUNNELS

Spatial non uniformity - Mean velocity not be uniform over a cross

section, overcome by transferring excess total head from regions of
high velocity to those of low velocity

Swirl - Flow may rotate about an axis resulting in variation of

direction of flow, flow straightness and honey combs are used to
reduce swirl
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Low frequency pulsation - These are surges of mean velocity, Under

their influence, time taken for steady conditions becomes excessive

Turbulence - it generates small eddies of varying size and intensity

and results in time variations of velocity, it may be defined as
irregular fluctuations of velocity superimposed on mean flow

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REDUCTION OF TURBULENCE

Use of wire meshes (also called as gauzes or screens), Screens

of very fine mesh size are used

They are kept as far upstream of the test section as possible,

Screens are usually made of metal, nylon or polyester

Larger eddies are broken down to smaller ones and the smaller
ones decay rapidly, Multiple screens reduce turbulence
intensity

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Reasons for keeping the screens at the beginning of the tunnel circuit
is to ensure that they are at the low velocity regions where the Re is
the least

The eddies are practically absent when the Re is < 40

Effect of screen on turbulence depends on K, the pressure drop

coefficient

where p1 and p2 are values of pressure up and downstream of the

screen

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K depends also on , Re, . Re the Reynolds number and is the

flow incidence angle measured from normal to the screen, is the
open area ratio and is defined as:

l and d are marked on figure aside

Fig.4 wire mesh used in a wind tunnel

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HONEY COMBS

Honey combs are effective in removing swirl and lateral mean

fluctuations

Incidental effect is to reduce turbulence

Fig.5 Honeycombs with different cell cross sectional shapes

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WIND TUNNEL CONTRACTIONS

Wind tunnel contraction serves a few purposes

1.

Enables velocity to be low at the location of

placement of the screens

2.

Reduces

both

mean

and

fluctuating

velocity

variations to a smaller fraction of the average

velocity
3.

Reduces spatial variations of velocity in the wind

tunnel cross section
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Fig.6 Schematic of a wind tunnel contraction

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THE DIFFUSER

The diffuser in the wind tunnel serves the purpose of salvaging the
kinetic energy of flow in the test section as pressure energy

In subsonic wind tunnels, the diffusers are diverging passages with a

semi divergence angle of about 7.5 to 8.0 degrees

The Bernoullis equation written in differential form in the context of

a diffuser is as follows:

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This implies that for a decrease of kinetic energy

per unit mass,

there is a corresponding increase in pressure energy

Fig.7 Exit pressure profile of jet through

different passages

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LOSSES IN THE WIND TUNNEL CIRCUIT

Losses are due to:

1.

Inefficiency of drive unit

2.

Skin friction, separation etc

3.

Loss of kinetic energy at the diffuser exit

4.

Shocks in the case of supersonic wind -tunnels

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OBJECTIVES OF WIND TUNNEL TESTS

Objectives of wind tunnel test that are important with regard to high
rise buildings are:

1.

Boundary layer vertical profiles and turbulence intensities

2.

Intensity and duration of extreme winds

3.

Influence of nearby structures and the effects of the proposed

building on the behavior of an existing building

4.

Wind loading on tall buildings as related to:

a.

Drag, vortex shedding, and separation

b.

Dynamic response

c.

Loads on cladding and glass

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5. Near zone effect stability of vehicles and pedestrians

6.

Motion tolerance occupancy discomfort

7.

Legal factors
a. Buffeting of downstream structures
b.

Missile damage caused by other structures

8.

Moisture penetration of buildings

9.

Study of solutions for problematic snow accumulation and

pollution control problems

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QUANTITATIVE DATA OBTAINED

1.

The intensity and scale of pressure fluctuations on exterior panels

and glass surface

2.

The overturning moments and shears that should be used in the

building design

3.

The oscillation response of the structure, in terms of becoming a

major creature comfort problem

4.

The change in the wind environment at the ground in terms of it

becoming uncomfortable or even dangerous to pedestrians
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THANK YOU
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