Wind tunnel

The wind tunnel is a facility in which a rectilinear, uniform flow of air is created at a controlled rate within a test chamber, and is used to study the effect of air movement around real objects or scaled models. For aeronautical uses, air-flow quality is determined by its uniformity and turbulence levels.

Technical specification

  • Closed loop.
  • Test chamber: 2x2m² cross section by 3m long.
  • Maximum operating speed in the test section: 56m/s, or 48m/s in its aeronautical configuration.
  • Nine 22 kW fans (24m³/s and 500 Pa pressure differential).
  • Aeronautical testing: >99.5% flow uniformity, and <0.5% turbulence intensity.

Applications:

  • Aeronautical testing.
  • Civil engineering.
  • Renewable energy.
  • Sports training.
  • Architecture.

Instrumentation:

  • 220 kW frequency inverter: this regulates the speed of the fans to control the airflow rate in the test chamber.
  • Six component balance.
  • Scanivalve pressure sensor.
  • Hot-wire anemometer.
  • Pitot tubes.
  • Comb-type pressure gauge.
  • Display systems.