Design and simulation of a low speed wind tunnel with analysis of wind effects on an airfoil (CFD)

Abstract

Low speed wind tunnel (LSWT) is a device, generating uniform airflow relative to a model of the body that measures aerodynamic force and pressure distribution to simulate with actual conditions. This paper will lay emphasis on the procedure adopted in the design of a tunnel (open circuit blow down type) along with the detailed analysis of flow through it and forces generated on an airfoil NACA 4412 with the help of CFD based software Fluent 6.3. In purview of the designing and testing economics, it is not feasible to go for the real time simulation at original facilities. So, we have decided to make this small scale LSWT as forces and pressures developed by the model can be applied to the prototype by multiplying the force co-efficient obtained in the computational analysis of the model with the factor ½ ρ ∞v2∞ AP having values of parameters in the factor corresponding to full scale.