Design, fabrication and testing of smoke wind tunnel

Abstract

Flow visualization is the direct observation of fluid flow. Moving fluids form complex patterns and understanding and visualizing those patterns is an important aspect in aerospace industry. The previously existing research and results were taken into consideration for design parameters and calculation for dimensions of various parts of the wind tunnel. Design calculations allow wind velocities in the range of 1-3 m/s at the test section. The design includes a rectangular test section of 0.06m x 0.30m cross-section for accommodation of test object of width 0.06m. The design was made in SolidWorks and was fabricated with basic materials like plywood and acrylic sheets. PC cabinet fans were used for flow circulation. Liquid wax is utilized for the purpose of smoke generation and rubber and PVC pipes were utilized for smoke containment and delivery system. Profiles that were used for testing included cylinder, sphere, cuboid, NACA airfoils and flat plate.