Wind Tunnels Basics

Module IV
Compressible Fluid Flow
VIII Semester
Wind Tunnels
A wind tunnel is a laboratory facility for producing a jet of air or any other working
substance that can be used for testing of aerodynamic models. Wind tunnels can be subsonic,
transonic or supersonic, depending on the flow Mach number in the test section. Wind
tunnels can also be classified as closed or open type wind tunnels. In open type wind tunnel
the atmospheric air is taken in and exhausted to the atmosphere.
A wind tunnel generally consists of a driving unit, a settling chamber, accelerating duct
(nozzle), test section and a diffuser. The driving unit consists of a fan, blower or a
compressor driven by an electric motor. The location of the driving unit depends on the type
of the tunnel. The flow from the compressor/blower or a fan is settled in a large chamber
called the settling chamber that is provided with wire gauzes and array of honeycombs to
straighten the flow and remove irregularities in it. The settling chamber supplies the flow to
the nozzle located down stream. This is designed to accelerate the flow from the nearly
stagnation conditions of settling chamber to the required test section velocity. The nozzle
discharges the jet into the test section. The model to be tested is fixed in the test section using
suitable supports. A transparent window of strong glass is often provided on the sides of the
test section. This facilitates in handling the models and the instruments and also permits the
optical measurements in the flow over the model surfaces. The diffuser collects the flow from
the test section and raises the pressure of the air for discharging it into the atmosphere or the
return circuit.
Types of wind tunnels

Blower tunnels
The air from the blower or fan enters the settling chamber through a diffuser to reduce
pressure loss. The contraction or the nozzle feeds the test section with an air jet at nearly
ambient conditions. This is a special advantage of this tunnel since the models and the
instruments can be easily manipulated during the operation of the tunnel.
Blower types are especially useful for conducting low speed (M<1) tests on cascades of
turbine and compressor blades.
VENKITARAJ K P | Department of Mechanical Engineering, CE Adoor
Module IV
VIII Semester
Suction tunnels
Suction type wind tunnels are open type tunnels and also used for subsonic testing of
aerodynamic models. Air is sucked into the tunnel through a contraction (nozzle) by an
exhaust fan. The air jet in the entire tunnel is slightly below atmospheric pressure. Therefore
for a given velocity in the test section the power required to drive the fan is comparatively
less.
Induction tunnels
The flow in the test section is induced by introducing a high pressure air downstream of the
test section through an annular nozzle. Such a tunnel is used when there is a small quantity of
high pressure air is available.
The great advantage of an induction tunnel is that its operation is independent of the
compressor characteristics. The compressors are used to fill the large reservoirs at the
required pressure. The tunnel may be operated at any convenient time even when the power is
not available to run the compressors. This type of tunnels can be designed for a wide range of
Mach numbers both subsonic and super sonic (M<2.5)
Supersonic wind tunnels
In supersonic wind tunnels the Mach number in the test section is greater than unity. A
supersonic wind tunnel can be of three types
i. Continuous open circuit type
ii. Blow down or intermittent type
Module IV
VIII Semester
iii. Continuous closed circuit type.

To obtain higher values of Mach number in the test section at lower gas velocities a suitable
gas of higher molecular weight is used. In an ideal flow through the tunnel at the designed
operating conditions, the flow is reversibly accelerated in the nozzle to supersonic velocity.
But in the actual case, the flow through the wind tunnel encounters with shock waves.
Open circuit supersonic tunnel (continuous flow type)
Air is continuously supplied to the reservoir by a compressor. High pressure air is
continuously expanded from the stagnation state ( po1, To1) to the test section pressure, p
through the convergent-divergent nozzle.
The main disadvantage of an open type continuous supersonic wind tunnel is that a very
considerable quantity of energy is thrown away into the atmosphere. This necessitates a
higher pressure ratio and power for the compressor. In addition to this, the nuisance created
by the high velocity jet exiting the tunnel is very high.
Blow-down tunnels
The operation of this type of tunnel is intermittent. This makes use of the high pressure air
stored in large reservoirs. A quick opening valve between the reservoir and the nozzle is used
to start the tunnel. The high pressure air is expanded to the atmosphere through the
supersonic nozzle and the test section in an intermittent operation of a very short duration.
Blow down concept can also be used by employing high vacuum in a reservoir downstream
of the diffuser. The supply to the test section is from the infinite reservoir, thus the supply
conditions are constant during the operation of the tunnel.
Closed circuit supersonic tunnels ( Continuous type)
A closed circuit continuous flow tunnel as shown in the figure below overcomes some of the
limitations of an open type tunnel. The arrangement of the tunnel consists of a compressor, a
convergent-divergent nozzle, test section, diffuser, cooler and a drier.
Module IV
VIII Semester
On account of the closed circuit, any gas besides air can be used in the tunnel. The diffuser
recovers the kinetic energy of the jet leaving the test section. Thus the compressor receives
air at a higher pressure, thereby reducing the compressor power required. The stagnation
temperature of the air is continuously increasing due to the high rate of energy dissipation in
the tunnels. So to keep the temperature constant a cooler is installed to cool the air before
entering the compressor. The cooler can also be installed after the compressor, but the power
requirement will be more as evident from the following figure.
Air from the reservoir is passed through the drier to avoid the moisture condensation in the
tunnel. Since it is closed circuit type tunnel, all the air need not be passed through the drier.
This helps in reducing the size of the drier used.

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Module IV

Compressible Fluid Flow

Types of wind tunnels

VENKITARAJ K P | Department of Mechanical Engineering, CE Adoor

Compressible Fluid Flow

VENKITARAJ K P | Department of Mechanical Engineering, CE Adoor

Compressible Fluid Flow

iii. Continuous closed circuit type.

Compressible Fluid Flow

VENKITARAJ K P | Department of Mechanical Engineering, CE Adoor

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