Wind Tunnel Techniques: Dr. Venugopal MM

Wind Tunnel Techniques
( Subject code : 17AE752 )
Dr. Venugopal MM
Department of Aeronautical Engineering
Acharya Institute of Technology
Bangalore – 560 107
Module - 2
Calibration of subsonic Wind Tunnels
Flow angularities
The flow in the test-section has to be uniform throughout its cross section, with all streamlines parallel to
the tunnel axis, when the tunnel is run without any model in the test-section.
Therefore, ensuring the flow direction along the tunnel axis is essential before putting the tunnel into use.
A yaw head probe can be used to measure the angularity of the flow.
The yaw head probes used for measuring the flow angularity in a wind tunnel test-section are usually
1.Sphere-type
2.Claw-type.
Flow angularities
Yaw Sphere
A schematic diagram of a typical sphere-type yaw meter is shown in Figure.
Yaw Sphere is used to measuring the angularity of planar or two-dimensional flows.
we need a two-hole yaw sphere, however,
a yaw meter with four holes is necessary for three-dimensional flows because the yaw
and pitch of the stream need to be measured simultaneously.
The procedure followed for angularity measurement is the following.

Flow angularities
• A sphere with two orifices located 90◦ apart on the forward port is to be placed in the wind tunnel test-
section by a support.
• The instrument axis has to be adjusted in the vertical plane until both pressure taps measure equal pressure
The measurement of equal pressure by these two pressure taps implies that the axis of the yaw meter is
aligned to the flow direction. Now the angle between the tunnel axis and yaw sphere axis gives the angle
between the flow direction and tunnel axis.
• Align the instrument axis parallel to the tunnel axis and note the pressure difference (pA − pB). The
instrument may be calibrated by standard experiments for yaw head, defined as the ratio between Delta K
and Delta ψ, where, Delta K = p/q and ψ is the yaw angle.
Flow angularities
Theoretical and actual values of Delta p/q for a spherical yaw

head are compared in Figure.
The yaw head (DelK/Delψ) varies from 0.04 to 0.07/degree.

Therefore, for each instrument its yaw head constant
DelK/Delψ should be determined experimentally.
In addition to the yaw holes, a total-head orifice may also be

provided at the front of the yaw head sphere.
From Figure 3.27, it can be noted that the total pressure head
orifice reading will be correct only for small flow deflection
angles. Indeed, at 5 degree yaw the total head reading is down
by 1.2 percent.
Figure 3.27
Flow angularities
Claw Yaw Meter
• A typical claw-type yaw meter is shown schematically in Figure.
• The principle and the functioning of the claw-type yaw meter are similar to those of the spherical
yaw meter.
• It has less interfering geometrical construction, it is generally used to measure the direction,
rotation, and so on of the flow field at any point near the model surfaces.
Turbulence measurements
• In nature, most of the flows (air flow over plains, sea breeze, water flow in rivers, stream, etc.) are turbulent.
• turbulence is a measure of chaos or disorderliness in the flow
• Generation of turbulent flow is easier compared to laminar flow. In fact, generation of laminar flow in the
laboratory is a difficult task
• It becomes imperative to simulate the level of turbulence in the actual flow field, where a prototype is going to
operate, in the wind tunnel test-section where a scale model of the prototype is tested, for establishing
dynamically similar flow conditions between the prototype and model flow fields.
• The actual Reynolds number of the test-section is equivalent to a much higher free field Reynolds number. This
increase is called the turbulence factor TF, defined as
where the subscript e stands for effective Reynolds number and c is the measured critical Reynolds number in the
tunnel test-section
Turbulence measurements
The measurement of turbulence in the test-section is essential for determining the Ree.
The turbulence may be measured with
1. Turbulence sphere
2. Pressure sphere
3. Hot-wire anemometer
Turbulence Sphere
The drag coefficient CD of a sphere is greatly influenced by changes in flow velocity. The CD for a sphere decreases with
increasing air speed, because the earlier transition to turbulent flow results in reduced wake behind the sphere. This
action decreases the form or pressure drag, resulting in lower total drag coefficient.
The decrease of drag coefficient is rapid in a range of speed in which both the drag coefficient and drag go down. The
Reynolds number at which the transition occurs at a given point on the sphere is a function of the
The procedure adopted for Drag measurement is the following.

• Measure the drag D for a small sphere of about 150 mm diameter, at many speeds of the test-section.
• After subtracting the buoyancy, the drag coefficient may be calculated from the relation
where d is the sphere diameter.
• The sphere drag coefficient is plotted against Reynolds number Re, as shown in Figure.
• The Re at which CD = 0.30 is noted and termed the critical Reynolds number, Rec .
For the drag sphere placed in an undisturbed flow, the theoretical value of CD = 0.3 occurs at the theoretical critical
Reynolds number of Re = 385,000. Therefore,
CD versus Re for the drag sphere.

Example. 2.1
A subsonic wind tunnel of square test-section runs at 30 m/s, with pressure 97.325 kPa and temperature 22◦C, in
the test-section. A turbulence sphere with theoretical surface finish offering 4 percent blockage experiences
critical Reynolds number at this state. Determine the test-section height.
Pressure Sphere
The pressure sphere has an orifice at the front stagnation point and four equally spaced
interconnected orifices at 22 1/2 degree from the theoretical rear stagnation point.
A lead from the front orifice is connected across a manometer to the lead from the four rear
orifices.
After the pressure difference due to the static longitudinal pressure gradient is subtracted, the
resultant pressure difference Delta P for each Re at which measurements were made is divided
by the dynamic pressure for the appropriate Re.
The resulting dimensionless pressure difference, also known as the pressure coefficient Cp
Cp = Delta P / q
Cp variation with Re
The turbulence factor varies from 1.0 to about 3.0.
The Values 1.4 indicate that the air has very high turbulence for good testing
results.
Turbulence should be very low for research on low-drag airfoils. The variation
of the turbulence factor with the degree of turbulence is shown in Figure.
The turbulence in a tunnel may be kept at a low level by the following means.
• Using maximum number of fan blades
• With antiswirl vanes With a very long, gradual nacelle
• Providing the maximum possible distance between the propeller and test-section
Hot-Wire Anemometer
The hot-wire anemometer can be used to measure freestream

turbulence directly.
It can be used for the measurement of turbulence at very low

speeds also.
It measures the instantaneous values of speed accurately and

hence the turbulence,
Turbulence = Deviation from mean speed / Mean speed
The hot-wire anemometer works on the principle that the rate of heat loss from a wire heated electrically
and placed in an air stream is proportional to the stream velocity.
The wire used is platinum or tungsten wire of about 0.015 mm diameter and about 1 mm to 10 mm long.
The rate of heat dissipation H is given by
(King’s formula)

Wind Tunnel Techniques: Dr. Venugopal MM

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Wind Tunnel Techniques: Dr. Venugopal MM

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Wind Tunnel Techniques

( Subject code : 17AE752 )

A schematic diagram of a typical sphere-type yaw meter is shown in Figure.

Yaw Sphere is used to measuring the angularity of planar or two-dimensional flows.

we need a two-hole yaw sphere, however,

The procedure followed for angularity measurement is the following.

Theoretical and actual values of Delta p/q for a spherical yaw

The yaw head (DelK/Delψ) varies from 0.04 to 0.07/degree.

In addition to the yaw holes, a total-head orifice may also be

Claw Yaw Meter

• A typical claw-type yaw meter is shown schematically in Figure.

• turbulence is a measure of chaos or disorderliness in the flow

The procedure adopted for Drag measurement is the following.

CD versus Re for the drag sphere.

• Using maximum number of fan blades

• With antiswirl vanes With a very long, gradual nacelle

The hot-wire anemometer can be used to measure freestream

It can be used for the measurement of turbulence at very low

It measures the instantaneous values of speed accurately and

Turbulence = Deviation from mean speed / Mean speed

You might also like