A Low-Cost Active Control Multi-Fan Turbulence Wind Tunnel with an Embedded System to Generate Natural Wind

Abstract

This paper describes a new actively controlled multi-fan wind tunnel that generates natural wind as a type of turbulence wind tunnel at a reduced cost. The driving section of the wind tunnel has 100 PC cooling fans that are controlled by an original embedded system. The fluctuating velocity wind is successfully generated with a mean velocity of 7 m/s and two turbulent intensities of 2% and 3% based on Karman’s power spectrum density function. The case of 2% has the integral scales of 5 m, 10m and 20 m, and the case of 3% has the integral scales of 3 m, 6 m and 15 m with a turbulence grid. In particular, the wind with the turbulent intensity of 2% satisfies the Kolmogorov’s −5/3 multiplication rule of inertial subrange with the frequency range from 0.01 Hz to 2.0 Hz. Consequently, the new wind tunnel can be used for studying engineering technology and research regarding conditions with natural wind.