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Design & Fabrication of Low Speed Wind Tunnel and Flow Analysis

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 International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7 (4.39) (2018) 381-387

International Journal of Engineering & Technology

Website: www.sciencepubco.com/index.php/IJET

Research paper

Design & Fabrication of Low Speed Wind Tunnel and Flow

Analysis
Nagendra Kumar Maurya1*, Manish Maurya2, Avdhesh Tyagi3, Shashi Prakash Dwivedi4
1,3,4
G. L. Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management, INDIA
2
Accurate Institute of Management &Technology, INDIA
*Corresponding author E-mail: nagendramnnit@gmail.com

Abstract

Wind tunnel is a tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of wind moving over the solid object. Present study, low velocity
wind tunnel was designed and fabricated to reduce the drag and lift forces. A typical open circuit wind tunnel consists of motor and fan
unit, settling chamber, contraction cone, test section and diffuser. The main work of the wind tunnel is to improve the design according to
the aerodynamic shapes. Inside test section the wind velocity was measured about 36 m/s and pressure 36 bar. Half model of airfoil ob-
ject was placed parallel to the wind flow direction, velocity and pressure was measured. It was observed that velocity is increases and
pressure is decreases on the solid object with gradually increasing height up-to maximum height along the length. After maximum height
the velocity is decreases and pressure is increases gradually when height is decreases gradually along the length.

Keywords: Open circuit wind tunnel, Flow analysis, Fabrication of wind tunnel

experiments and fabricated new wind tunnels at universities and at

1. Introduction
A wind tunnel was a tool used in aerodynamic research to study
the effects of air moving past solid objects. It provides a
controllable flow field for investigating various flow phenomena
and testing aerodynamic models. Wind tunnels were the devices
that enable researchers to study the flow over objects of interest,
the forces acting on them and their interaction with the flow.
Experiments in the aviation theory were performed by Benjamin
Robins (1707–1751). He designed a whirling arm apparatus to
define the drag through the experiments [1]. Sir George Cayley
(1773–1857) investigated the drag and lift of various airfoils by
using the whirling arm. The dimension of whirling arm was 5 feet
(1.5 m) long and achieved top speed between 10 and 20 feet per
second [2]. The steady flow of air impacting the test shape at the
normal incidence was not produced by the whirling arm. Francis
Herbert Wenham (1824–1908) evaluated these problems by
fabricating and operating the first enclosed wind tunnel in 1871
[3]. Wenham and Browning investigated the dimensions of l/d
ratios, and the exposure of the beneficial effects of a high aspect
ratio. The world's largest wind tunnel was manufactured in 1932-
1934, situated at Chalais-Meudon in France [4]. The US built the
largest wind tunnels in 1941 situated at Wright Field in Dayton,
Ohio [5]. German scientists faced the problems related with
spreading the valuable choice of large wind tunnels. The large
natural caves which were enhanced in size by pit and then closed
to stock large volumes of air can be routed through these tunnels.
This advanced methodology had permitted the lab research in
high-speed regimes and had enhanced the advancement of
aeronautical engineering. Three different supersonic wind tunnels
of Mach No 4.4 were developed in Germany [6]. The supersonic
flow analysis was performed for the airflows near or above the
speed of sound. United States scientist have conducted several
Copyright © 2018 Authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
military sites [7].
For inadequate applications, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
can conceivably substitute the application of wind tunnels. The
fabrication of rocket plane space ship without the use of wind
tunnel was an example. Experiments were conducted by attaching
the flight threads to the surface of the wings. Computational
model was used to conduct wind tunnel test. In external turbulent
flow, CFD was not applied due to its own limitations.
Wind tunnel was a tool used in aerodynamic investigation to
evaluate the influence of air travelling past solid objects. It in-
volves a closed tubular passage with powerful fan system. Wind
mills were confirmed in large wind tunnels, but due to huge
amount of expenses to work computer modelling is used. Wind
tunnels were used to evaluate the airflow around large buildings.
The aerodynamic forces imposed on the aircraft were evaluated by
using CFD [8]. Certain limitations like selection of exhaust fan,
anemometer, and their design involves electrical and
instrumentation engineering. This research work includes the fab-
rication of low speed wind tunnel.
The behavior of object (airplane, missile, automobile, etc.) at
different wind speed was tested in the wind tunnel. The
quantitative behavior of pressure, velocity, force, etc. was
measured along with the air stream visualization. On different
airfoil structure the lift and drag were measured at different wind
speed in the wind tunnel. The efficiency of an aircraft depends
upon lift, drag and lift to drag ratio of wings.
The design of wind tunnel and uniform air flow in the test section
of wind tunnel is a challenging problem. The manufacturing cost,
and vibration in each section due to the high velocity of wind flow
in narrow section are the limitations. Axial fan produce a swirl.
These wind whirl passes through the wind tunnel produces
dissimilar impact on the airfoil like object. According to the wind
speed, the selection of shape and size of wind tunnel is a challenge
in its design and fabrication.
382 International Journal of Engineering & Technology

Design of wind tunnel for uniform air flow inside the test section
we added two honeycomb section in our project. One at the
entrance of wind in contraction chamber and another one is last of
contraction chamber and entrance of test section. Due to two
honeycomb section more uniform air flow in test section of wind
tunnel. The swirl wind flow from the axial fan and they passes
through the first honeycomb section first which produce swirl
wind into uniform air and these air passes through contraction
chamber its speed increases and accelerate. Due to the acceleration
of wind in contraction chamber these air is non uniformly wind
flow and again non uniform wind passes through the second wind
tunnel again its produce a uniform air and then uniform air passes
through the test section. For the vibration in each section at joint
we added a damper they absorb these vibration of each section
individual. There are no vibration present in each section we
added a sample in test section and test them the accurate result
found. For low cost, wood was used for each section of
manufacturing.
2.2 Contraction Cone
The contraction chamber was designed in SOLIDWORKS As
shown in Fig.2. The contraction chamber was manufacturing with
the help of plywood, nail, and fevicol but in this section we also
added a honeycomb in the last portion contraction near the test
section. These honeycombs also produce a more uniform air in
test section and we added the damper in each portion of joint. The
damper absorbs the vibration and also they do not leakage of air
between two sections of joint of wind tunnel. The contraction cone
of the fabricated wind tunnel is shown in Fig.3.Table 2 shows the
design specification of contraction cone.

2. Design and Fabrication of Low Speed Wind

Tunnel

The main objective of this study was to design and fabricate low
cost open circuit low speed wind tunnel. A typical open circuit
wind tunnel consist of various section viz., honey comb section,
axial flow fan, test section, diffuser, Contraction cone etc. The
details of the component of wind tunnel are discussed in next sub
section.

2.1 Design and Fabrication of Settling Chamber

Settling chamber with honeycomb section in shown in Fig.1. Set-

tling chamber is used for maintaining uniform wind velocity
inside the wind tunnel. Manufacturing of honeycomb section is
very difficult. In this work honeycomb section was created with
the cutting and gluing of aluminium piece. Two settling chamber Fig.2: CAD model of contraction cone
was fabricated. First we cut the four piece of plywood whose
thickness is 19.05 mm thickness, length of all sides was 1000 mm.
Each four piece was assemble and form a cube like structure with
the help of nail and fevicol. Fevicol was used due to the two rea-
son there first one is to prevent the leakage of air and another one
is to increase the strength. Manufacturing of honeycomb section is
quite difficult with the help of large no of circular pipes with high
strength of bond between two circular pipes. The length of circular
pipes was 100 mm and inner diameter was 31 mm, outer diameter
was 32 mm. In honeycomb aluminium pipes was used due to low
weight and high strength. The bond between two circular pipes
with the help of adhesive glue makes stronger bond. Theses bond
sustain a high velocity of wind striking on the aluminium pipes
with high pressure. These pipes convert swirl winds, in a uniform
wind and inters into the contraction chamber. We apply the
adhesive glue between the two outer surfaces of pipes and then
forms a bond between two pipes.

Fig.3: Fabricated contraction cone

Table 1: Specification of contraction cone

Parameters Dimensions
Inlet cross section area 1000mm×1000 mm

Outlet cross section area 500mm×500mm

Length 1180mm

Contraction ratio 4:1

Contraction angle 24⁰

Fig.1: Settling Chamber
International Journal of Engineering & Technology 383

2.3. Test Section 2.4 Diffuser

Design and fabrication of test section is one of the most important
components of the wind tunnel. Before fabrication of test section
need of size of test section, shape and required flow velocity is
important parameters must be analyzed. The test section is the
chamber in which measurements and observations were made.
The size of test chamber should be large enough so that flow
disturbance resulting from contraction cone sufficiently damped
before reaching to the object. Fig. 4 shows the CAD model of the
test section and Fig.5 shows the fabricated model of the test
section.
Diffuser is the most important part of wind tunnel which increases
the speed of wind in test section. Diffuser create vacuum inside
the test tube. Due to the vacuum creation inside the test tube the
restriction decrease and increase the velocity of wind inside the
tube. The design of diffuser was made on the SOLIDWORKS
software shown in Fig.6. Diffuser for wind tunnel was fabricated
by using plywood, fevicol and nail. We add damper in wind tunnel
they absorb the vibration of diffuser and also no leakage of air at
assemble joint. We add damper then they absorb the vibration of
diffuser produce by the high velocity wind flow inside the
diffuser. Vibration is absorb then the wind flow in uniform and
minimum turbulence of wind stream. Fabrication of diffuser was
carried out as per the specification Table 4.

Table 2: Specification of diffuser

Inlet cross section of diffuser 500mm×500mm
Outlet cross section of diffuser 700mm×700mm
Length of diffuser 1600mm
Angle of inclination 7⁰

Fig.4: CAD model of test section

Fig.6: CAD model of diffuser

2.4 Driven Unit and its Foundation

Axial flow fan can be fitted either at the inlet or outlet of wind
Fig.5: Fabricated test chamber
tunnel. It can suck the air from the test chamber or push the air in
test chamber. The number of fans required depends on the basics
The test section was made with the help of plywood and fiber of various factors like area of wind tunnel, length of wind tunnel,
glass. The manufacturing of test section top and bottom surface of air velocity required in the test chamber, diameter of fan, number
the test section was fabricated of plywood and side surface was of blades etc. Normally large capacity, heavy duty fans were
fabricated with the fiber glass. All these part were assemble to selected where high speed air velocity is required. Fig.7 shows the
each other and form a cuboids shape of box. Transparent fiber axial flow fan used in this investigation. Table 5 shows the
glass material was used to visualization the airstream coming from specification of the fan.
the contraction chamber and also the behavior of object with high
speed. Table 3: Specification of motor and fan
In this test section the wind speed was approximately come with Component Specification
20 m/s and the uniform air come from the contraction chamber at Motor power 7.5 HP
the end of honey comb structure. These test result was better due Maximum Speed of motor 1440 rpm
to uniform air and no vibration was present in these section. Types of motor 3 phase induction motor
Damper was added on each joint of the test section which absorb Types of fan Axial fan
vibration and prevent leakage of air from the joint. Fan diameter 1000
384 International Journal of Engineering & Technology

3. Flow Analysis of Wind Tunnel

3.1 Testing Procedure

For the analysis of semi airfoil section a physical test model was
fabricated on which variation of velocity and pressure was
measured. Velocity was measured through a digital anemometer
and for pressure was measuring through the digital pitot tube. First
we starts the both digital measuring instrument and then set unit
into the instrument for velocity (m/s) and pressure (mbar). Before
conducting test on the object first we conduct the test inside the
test section without object to check the incoming air velocity and
pressure and also uniformity of wind flow. For conducting the
experiment without object test chamber was divided into number
of points and marked the position of experiment.

Fig. 7: Motor and fan of wind tunnel

2.5 Assembly of Each Parts of Wind Tunnel

Assembly of different parts of wind tunnel was complicated along

the line of alignment. There were several parts of wind tunnel viz.,
fan, settling chamber, contraction cone, test section and diffuser.
For heavy motor and fan was fixed at a single position. A
foundation was made for the driven unit then fan was fitted with
settling chamber. A damper was fitted with the foundation to
damped induced vibration from the prime mover. Motor and fan
unit come a right position on the foundation. A plywood whose
size of 1160mm×1160mm cross-section with a hole whose size of
980mm diameter was used to attached the fan with settling cham-
ber.
When swirl air strike to the honeycomb, its produce vibration and
honeycomb converts swirl wind into a uniform wind. Settling
chamber consist the honeycomb and construction of honey comb
with the help of pipe and adhesive gum shown in Fig.1. The con-
traction cone was assembled with the settling chamber with the Fig. 9: Velocity & Pressure measuring point in test section
help of damper, nuts and bolts. The test section was assembled
with contraction cone and test section was assembled with the The wind inlet in test section from cross-section on marks from
diffuser. The leakage of air was checked at each section of joint. (1-9), middle portion on mark (10-18) and exist cross section on
All parts of wind was assembly along the line of alignment shown marks from (19-27). The bottom side is 1, 2, 3 and top side is 7, 8,
in Fig.8. Stars the motor and check the leakage of air in at all 9 of test section of wind tunnel is shown in fig above. Velocity
matching parts of wind tunnel and then found no leakage of wind and pressure are measured at each point of test section are shown
after which conduct the test in test section with the help of ane- in Fig.9.
mometer and digital pitot tube. During the test conduction in the test section, some portion of
upper part was open then some amount of wind was leakage. Due
to the due leakage in the test section the air velocity was decreases
and also effect on the pressure also inside the test section. From
the results it may be concluded that when move from bottom side
to upper side of layer the velocity of wind was decreases and
increases the pressure due to the leakage of air in upper side.
Move from left side to right side we observed the velocity was
also same in both side but in middle portion the velocity of wind
was increases. From the measured data it can b assume the
incoming air velocity is maximum at the bottom portion due to no
leakage of air. Then we assume can be seen that maximum
velocity of wind at the bottom in test section was found.
The uniform velocity of wind inside the Test section = 20 m/s
The uniform air pressure of wind inside the Test section = 36.0 bar

3.2. Test Result with Solid Object inside the Test Section

Before put the object inside the test section of wind tunnel we
made some marks on the surface of the object at that point meas-
Fig.8: Design assembly of wind tunnel on solid works ured the wind velocity and pressure as well as the behavior of
International Journal of Engineering & Technology 385

object with high velocity of wind. Our object shape was
approximately like a equation of curve Y = X 2 along the length
with origin is middle portion of length at maximum height and
constant shape along width of the object. there are some data of
object is given below.
Length of the object = 39 cm
Width of the object = 26.5 cm
Maximum height at middle portion of length = 15 cm
The velocity and pressure was increased and decreased along the
curved surface of the testing object and observed the behavior of
wind on the object.
According to data the pressure versus velocity graphs was plotted
and then seen the how velocity and pressure were behave on the
testing object on the body.
Case I: Graph along the marks (1-5-9-13-17-21-25-29-33-27-
41) on the object:

Fig. 12: Velocity v/s distance curve along the curve

Fig.10: Model of semi airfoil testing object

The object is divided into the small element with the help of node
and mesh. There were several no of marks made on the object at
equal distance for measuring purpose at that point of the object.
Along the width the marks was made at different distance than
along the length due to the shape of object. Width of an element
along the width of testing object = 8.9 cm. Length of an element
along the top surface of the testing object = 5 cm. At each node of
the element is marked with a specific number and according to
these specific number the velocity and pressure is measured of
each node of element. There are 44 nodes are marked along the
surface of the object and all 44 point on measured the velocity and
pressure is given below. The shape of the planer element along the
curved surface is 8.9 cm × 5cm and between element the at any
point the pressure is calculated by using interpolation method of
mathematics if velocity and pressure is known at every node of
each element theoretically.

Fig.13: Pressure v/s distance curve along the curve

Case II: Graph along the mark (2-6-10-14-18-22-26-30-34-38-

42) on the object:

Fig. 11: Elements of the testing object Fig. 14: Velocity v/s distance curve along the curve
386
Fig. 15: Pressure v/s distance curve along the curve
Case III: Graph along the curve (3-7-11-15-19-23-27-31-35-39-
43) on the testing object
Fig. 16: Velocity v/s distance curve along the curve
Fig.17: Pressure v/s distance curve along the curve
International Journal of Engineering & Technology
Fig.18: Velocity v/s distance curve along the curve
Fig.19: Pressure v/s distance curve along the curve
From all the above graphs, there were several types of wind
behavior was observed on the object by testing the object in wind
tunnel. According to the data and curve above we theoretically
and practically behavior of wind on object was calculated like
force, moment, etc. There were several types of sensor used to
find out the behavior of object at different at speed of wind inside
the wind tunnel.
From velocity vs. distance curve it can be seen initially velocity
increases at a certain distance randomly and then decreases along
the length of the object. The shape of the testing object was like a
parabolic curve and maximum height was obtained in the middle
portion of object approximately. The uniform air was fall on the
object at the bottom level then its height was increases gradually
then air was moves in upward direction and the neighboring layer
of wind was also strikes in the upward layer on the object then
these two layer of air strikes to each other. Then the velocity of air
was increased on the object in gradually increasing the height of
the object. The velocity was increases in upward direction up-to
the level of maximum height of the object then the wind strikes in
upward direction on the object in upward. Due to the friction on
the surface of the object the force was acting on the object in up-
ward direction on the front surface of the object then the lift force
is increases and drag force was decreases on the object.
After the maximum height the velocity was decreases gradually
up-to the last of the object. The velocity was decreases gradually
then also the lift force was decrease and drag force was increases
but minimize these force by design the object like minimum area
and more gradually decreases the back surface. According to the
different design of airfoil structure maximize the lift force and
 International Journal of Engineering & Technology 387

minimize the drag force of the object and testing at different

velocity of wind inside the wind tunnel.

4. Conclusion
In this research work, low velocity wind tunnel was successively
designed, fabricated and tested. It was concluded that shape, size,
material selection and manufacturing process is a very important
for manufacturing of wind tunnel. Results depicts that velocity
was increased and pressure was decreased when object height was
gradually increases along the length up-to the maximum height
and after the maximum height pressure was increased and velocity
was decreases when height of object was decreases gradually
along the length of object. Its means the pressure energy was con-
verted into the kinetic energy initially up-to the maximum height
and after the maximum height the kinetic energy was converted
into potential energy. The lift and drag force was mainly depends
upon the shape of object, size of object and wind velocity of the
object. For better performance of airfoil structure maximize the lift
force and minimize the drag force.

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