Wind Tunnel Experiments For Grades 8 - 12: Dr. Judy Foss Van Zante

Wind Tunnel Experiments for Grades 8 - 12
Wind Tunnel Experiments

for
Grades 8 - 12
Dr. Judy Foss Van Zante
Dynacs Engineering Co., Inc.
Cleveland, OH
6/15/99
NASA Glenn Research Center

Icing Branch - Van Zante / Dynacs Page 1
Contents
Sample Experiments 3
Governing Equations 15
Flow Visualization Techniques 19
How to Make the Measurements 24
Background - Why Test in Wind Tunnels 27
Selected References 31

Sample Experiments

Ideas for Wind Tunnel Experiments

Model: Airfoil or Flat Plate
L vs. Lift vs. Angle of Attack
L vs. V Lift vs. Velocity
CD vs. Re Drag vs. Reynolds Number

i.e., vary Speed and/or Size
Investigate the effects of contamination on
the leading edge (sand paper, paper mache) to
mimic ice accretion, bug splat, etc... This should
reduce max lift & increase drag.

Wind Tunnel Test Section with Airfoil

Mounting Options
Flow
Airfoil on Sting Wall-Mounted

Lift vs. Angle of Attack

As the angle of attack
Lift
increases, so should the lift
- until a certain point (the

stall angle of attack). Flow
Angle of attack ():

angle between flow and
chord line.
Chord line:
straight line between most
forward and most aft points

Lift vs. Angle (cont.)
Lift
Angle
scale
Visual: See airfoil lift Measure: airfoil lift as

as angle increases a function of angle

Wind Tunnel Experiment

Lift vs. Angle Worksheet

Lift vs. Velocity

As the velocity (speed)
Lift
increases, so should the lift.
Note: Keep the angle of

attack constant. Velocity
The greater the angle (prior (Speed)
to stall) the greater the
change in lift.

Lift vs. (Velocity)2
Lift
V2
Velocity
scale
Visual: See airfoil lift Measure: airfoil lift as

as speed increases a function of speed

Wind Tunnel Experiment

Lift vs. Velocity Worksheet

Ideas for Wind Tunnel Experiments

Model: Drag Body
Double Elimination Competitions

Build two objects. In a head-to-head comparison,
see which one has the least drag.
Which way will the object with the most drag
move?
Race Cars
Geometric shapes

Wind Tunnel with Drag Objects

Mounting Options
Bluff Bodies Race Cars

Rotating Sting Pulley
Ideas for Wind Tunnel Experiment

Model - Drag Body
Notes:
The frontal area (the side facing the flow) must be the
same. Drag is directly related to the surface area.
If using the pivot & sting, objects must be mounted equally
far apart from the pivot point. It is important that each
object has the same moment arm.
If using the pulley system, it might be better to have two
pulleys.

Governing Equations

Governing Equations
Lift & Drag are equal to the

Dynamic Pressure * Surface Area * Coefficient
These Coefficients are a function of

Angle of Attack, Model Geometry & Mach number
1
L V 2 * S * C L
2
1
D V 2 * S * C D
2
Nomenclature
Dynamic Pressure, V2
= density (of air); rho
V = velocity (speed)
Surface Area, S
S = chord * span
chord is wing length, span is wing width
Coefficient of Lift CL = function (, model, Ma)

Coefficient of Drag CD = function (, model, Ma)

Governing Equation
Notes
The Lift and Drag can be changed most easily by
changing the angle of attack () or speed (V). Of
course, the surface area (S) can also be
adjusted. If a water tunnel is also available, the
working fluid (), e.g. air to water, can also be a
variable.
During the course of one experiment, it is
important to only change one variable at a time.

Flow Visualization
Techniques

Flow Visualization Techniques
Flow Visualization illustrates the flow on

or near the object. On the surface, regions
of reverse flow become visible.
Yarn Tufts, Tuft Probe, Tuft Grid

Smoke Wand, Smoke Wire
Trailing Edge Cone (String & paper cone)


Yarn
Yarn Tufts - tape ~1 segments of yarn directly to the
surface.
Tuft Probe - tape ~3 light-weight (and visible) string to end

of rod. Probe the flow.
Tuft Grid - attach ~1 segments of yarn to a wire mesh

(screen) and place behind object (perpendicular orientation to
the flow)
Trailing Edge Cone - tape one end of string to paper cone,

and the other end to (spanwise) edge of model. This illustrates
streamwise vorticity, if present. Its great for delta wings.


Illustrated
Yarn Tufts on surface
x x
Tuft Probe
x x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
x x x x
Tuft Grid
W lt a
g
De
in
Trailing Edge Cone


Cautions
For yarn & string: If the inertia (mass) of

the yarn/string is too large, it wont
follow the flow.
For smoke: If the airspeed is too high,

the smoke and air will mix and blur.

How to Make the

Measurements

Wind Tunnel Experiment Details

Measuring Lift
For airfoil and sting: measured from the scale
(ounces). Wt0 = weight at zero velocity.
L = Wt0 Wt
Caution: try to minimize the friction (binding) at the
tunnel/sting interface, e.g., with a brass bearing.
For wall mounted: measured from a load cell.

Wind Tunnel Experiment Details

Measuring Velocity
Pitot-static tube
P = Ptotal - Pstatic
Bernoullis Equation: P = (1/2) V2, 1 kg/m3 (units!)
V = 2* P/

Three-cup anemometer

Background
Why Test in Wind Tunnels?

Why Test in Wind Tunnels?

The Ultimate Goal: to Understand the Fluid
Mechanics or Aerodynamics of an
Aircraft in Flight
Submarine in Water
Automobile on Road
New Structure (Building, Bridge) in City
How do you get There from Here?

Build a model and test it
In a Wind Tunnel
On a Computer

Two of NASAs Wind Tunnels
Langley
Ames 80 x 120

Types of Wind Tunnels
Full Scale / Full Geometry (1999 price estimates)

NASA Glenn 10 x 10 Supersonic$2000/hr
NASA Ames 80 x 120 $1000/hr
Sub-Scale / Single Component

NASA Glenn 20 x 30 Low Speed $2/hr
How does one scale a model?

Geometric
Dynamic (e.g. Reynolds Number, Re = UL/

Selected References
Aerodynamics
1. Abbott, Ira A. & von Doenhoff, Albert E., Theory of Wing Sections, Dover Publications, 1959.
2. Anderson, John D., Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 2nd Ed., 1991.
3. Anderson, John D., Introduction to Flight, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 3rd Ed., 1989.
4. Shevell, Richard S., Fundamentals of Flight, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983.
Fluid Mechanics
5. Potter, Merle C. & Foss, John F., Fluid Mechanics, The Ronald Press Co., NY, 1975
(now published by Great Lakes Press).
6. White, Frank M., Fluid Mechanics, McGraw-Hill Inc., 2nd Ed., 1986.
7. Shapiro, Ascher H., Shape and Flow: The Fluid Dynamics of Drag, Science Study Series, Anchor
Books, Doubleday & Co., Inc.,Garden City, NY, 1961.
Flow Visualization
8. Van Dyke, Milton, An Album of Fluid Motion, Parabolic Press, P.O. Box 3032, Stanford, CA
94305-0030, 1982.
9. Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Visualized Flow, Pergamon Press, 1988.
10. National Committee for Fluid Mechanics Films, Illustrated Experiments in Fluid Mechanics, The
MIT Press, Cambridge, MA and London, England, 1972.


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Wind Tunnel Experiments for Grades 8 - 12

Wind Tunnel Experiments

NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Glenn Research Center

Ideas for Wind Tunnel Experiments

CD vs. Re Drag vs. Reynolds Number

NASA Glenn Research Center

Wind Tunnel Test Section with Airfoil

Airfoil on Sting Wall-Mounted

NASA Glenn Research Center

Lift vs. Angle of Attack

Angle of attack ():

NASA Glenn Research Center

Lift vs. Angle (cont.)

Visual: See airfoil lift Measure: airfoil lift as

NASA Glenn Research Center

Wind Tunnel Experiment

NASA Glenn Research Center

Lift vs. Velocity

Note: Keep the angle of

NASA Glenn Research Center

Lift vs. (Velocity)2

Visual: See airfoil lift Measure: airfoil lift as

NASA Glenn Research Center

Wind Tunnel Experiment

NASA Glenn Research Center

Ideas for Wind Tunnel Experiments

Double Elimination Competitions

NASA Glenn Research Center

Wind Tunnel with Drag Objects

Bluff Bodies Race Cars

Ideas for Wind Tunnel Experiment

NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Glenn Research Center

Lift & Drag are equal to the

These Coefficients are a function of

Coefficient of Lift CL = function (, model, Ma)

NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Glenn Research Center

Flow Visualization Techniques

Flow Visualization illustrates the flow on

Yarn Tufts, Tuft Probe, Tuft Grid

NASA Glenn Research Center

Flow Visualization Techniques

Tuft Probe - tape ~3 light-weight (and visible) string to end

Tuft Grid - attach ~1 segments of yarn to a wire mesh

Trailing Edge Cone - tape one end of string to paper cone,

NASA Glenn Research Center

Flow Visualization Techniques

Trailing Edge Cone

NASA Glenn Research Center

Flow Visualization Techniques

For yarn & string: If the inertia (mass) of

For smoke: If the airspeed is too high,

NASA Glenn Research Center

How to Make the

NASA Glenn Research Center

Wind Tunnel Experiment Details

For wall mounted: measured from a load cell.

NASA Glenn Research Center

Wind Tunnel Experiment Details