Tyler Fink

Mr. DeBonis
ENGL 210
October 4, 2014
Wind Tunnel Description
Note: This is intended to be a general description of a wind tunnel to an
audience that is unfamiliar with this technology.
Wind tunnels are used in a variety of different industries, however,
they are always used to determine the aerodynamic properties of an object.
Due to their wide range of application, there are several types of wind
tunnels: low-speed, high-speed, subsonic and transonic, supersonic, and
hypersonic. Regardless of their speed, wind tunnels all operate using the
same fundamental process Bernoullis principle. Bernoullis principle states
that there is an inverse relationship between velocity and pressure. This
means that if the pressure of a fluid decreases there is an increase in
velocity. The process can be better understood with the use of the following
visual aid:

Figure 1: Schematic of a closed wind tunnel.

Source: <http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/illustration-wind-tunnels-1.gif>

Beginning at the fan, air is being pulled into the duct. The diameter of this
duct is gradually increasing, which lowers the velocity of the air and
increases the pressure. As the air moves through the duct, it is directed by
guide vanes allowing the flow of air to proceed around corners without
creating a more turbulent flow. Rounding the last corner, the passes through

a settling chamber to remove turbulence and a screen to straighten the flow

of the air. The duct begins to rapidly decrease in size forcing the air out of
the nozzle at a greatly increased velocity. The air flows out of the nozzle and
over a test section where the model in question is placed. After the air
passes over the model, it returns to the duct and is sent through a diffuser
that slows the velocity of the air without creating turbulence. The same
phenomenon that increases the air velocity in a wind tunnel can be
experienced at home with a garden hose. When a finger is placed over the
end of the hose, this decreases the area causing the same amount of fluid
that was previously moving through the hose to exit through a much smaller
area. In order to maintain a steady flow, the fluid must increase its velocity.
Although there are many different types of wind tunnels, they all utilize
Bernoullis principle to provide an adequate velocity for its users.
Once the desired air flow velocity has been accomplished, the effects
on the object in the test section can be analyzed. Various instruments such
as pressure sensors and Pitot tubes provide pressure and velocity
information, but often the visualization of the air over the object in the test
section is desired. The two most common and effective flow visualization
techniques utilize smoke and fog or tufts. Smoke can be injected into the
flow of a wind tunnel in small streamlines that provide a glimpse of the
effects the object has on the air. Smoke is quickly giving way to fog because
no residue, odors, or corrosive byproducts are created. To create the fog, a
cooling agent is necessary to create the correct conditions for its existence.
Steam and liquid nitrogen are mixed turbulently in a mixing nozzle, and
then expelled into the air stream through a pipe at the inlet of the wind
tunnels contraction section. The fog persists a given distance down the
tunnel until sufficient heat exchange has occurred, causing the fog to
disappear.

Figure 2: Flow visualization with fog.

Source: <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Fog_visualization.jpg>

Since their inception, wind tunnels and visualization techniques have

significantly improved. Early wind tunnels were able to produce a maximum
velocity of 20 miles per hour, where they can now accelerate air 30 times the
speed of sound! As the importance of the aerodynamic properties of objects
continues to increase, wind tunnels will maintain an integral part of the
advancement of this technology.

Works Cited
Merzkirch, Wolgang. Flow Visualization. London: Academic Press, Inc., 1987.
Print.
Chandler, Nathan. How Wind Tunnels Work. How Stuff Works. InfoSpace,
LLC. Web. 4 Oct. 2014.
Hitt, David. What Are Wind Tunnels? NASA Education. NASA. 5 Feb. 2014.
Web. 4 Oct. 2014.