Ring-Force Balance System for Small Wind Tunnels

Flow Visualization in Wind Tunnels

Flow visualization is an experimental means of examining the flow patterns around a body or over its surface. The flow is “visualized” by introducing dye, smoke or pigment into the flow in the area under investigation. The primary advantage of such a method is its ability to provide a description of the flow over a model without a complicated data reduction and analysis. Smokeflow visualization...

An Investigation on Performance of Shrouding a Small Wind Turbine with a Simple Ring in a Wind Tunnel

Ducted wind turbines are a kind of small wind turbine having a diffuser or any other shape around the rotor which increases the air flow through the blades and absorbs more power. In the present study, a small wind turbine was ducted with a relatively simple ring and its performance was investigated in a wind tunnel. The duct is shaped using rolling steel sheets on a sloping surface and finally...

Assessment of Wind Erosion Parameters Using Wind Tunnels

*Lawrence J. Hagen, USDA-ARS, Wind Erosion Research Unit, Throckmorton Hall 2004, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506. *Corresponding author: [email protected]. Contribution from USDA-ARS in cooperation with Kansas Agric. Exp. Sta., Contribution No. 99-389-A. ABSTRACT Assessment of wind erosion parameters applicable to the field scale using wind tunnels requires attention to both scal...

Some Lessons Learned with Wind Tunnels

Characterization and Uncertainty Analysis of a Reference Pressure Measurement System for Wind Tunnels

This paper presents the calibration results and uncertainty analysis of a high-precision reference pressure measurement system currently used in wind tunnels at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). Sensors, calibration standards, and measurement instruments are subject to errors due to aging, drift with time, environment effects, transportation, the mathematical model, the calibration exper...