EnginSoft International Conference 2009

1st-2nd Oct. 2009

Design and Flow Simulation of an Open Circuit Wind Tunnel

Serhat Senol, Ali Cinar Kocaeli University Kocaeli, Turkiye Email: alicinar@kocaeli.edu.tr Web: www.kocaeli.edu.tr

Summary
In this study, a suction-type subsonic open circuit wind tunnel was designed and simulated in computer environment. The design and development of the wind tunnel model was performed using the 3D solid modeling program, SolidWorks. The computer aided simulation was done using the Fluent 6.0 program; the theoretical ideal experimental conditions have been created on this model and made the simulation of the flow through the tunnel. The simulation results were interpreted and the necessary improvements were defined.

Keywords
Wind tunnel, Design, Simulation, Fluent

Introduction
During the design of vehicles, behavior of the vehicle aerodynamics should be known. To this end, wind tunnel experiments are performed. To make an accurate measurement in wind tunnel, test section conditions should be close as possible as to the actual atmospheric conditions. Therefore, the design and manufacture of wind tunnel is important. When designing a wind tunnel, it should be know what kind of experiments and measurements will be made and these experiments will be needed to speed regime. Accordingly, the type of tunnel is decided on, then assumptions and calculations are done. There are various studies in the literature related to design of wind tunnels and the measurements in them. Batill et al. [1] studied the vacuum effect created by fan in the suctiontype wind tunnel and calculated the energy losses in the boundary layer flows due to this effect emerged. Inan [2] designed and manufactured a multi-purpose low-speed open-loop wind tunnel. He measured turbulence, flow rate and pressure in the test section of it. Senol [3] designed and performed the computer-aided flow simulation of an open circuit subsonic wind tunnel for vehicle aerodynamics experiments. Cogotti [4] described the evolution of the automotive wind tunnels in parallel with developments in measurement techniques and performed aerodynamics and aerostatics measurements in new cars. Chong et al. [5] designed and manufactured an open circuit blow-type wind tunnel and tested aero-acoustic performance of it. In this study, a suction-type subsonic wind tunnel which has a test chamber with 0.5 m x 0.5 m cross-sectional area is designed. The airflow in this tunnel is modeled using computer-aided simulation software Fluent. Flow velocity, pressure and turbulence changes within the wind tunnel are investigated.

EnginSoft International Conference 2009

1st-2nd Oct. 2009

Design and Simulation

Since observing the aerodynamic events around the test model and measuring the aerodynamic quantities are performed in this section, the test chamber has a great importance in the design of a wind tunnel. Other elements of the tunnel are designed based on the size of test chamber and to provide the desired criteria [6]. In this study, the assumptions and calculations of designed wind tunnel have been made taking into consideration of Rae and Popes recommendations [6]. Cross-section of test chamber entrance is 0.5 m x 0.5 m, the length of the chamber is 1.75 m, the flow rate in the chamber is 60 m/s and the extension angle of the chamber is 0.5. The length of the contraction is 0.9 m, the flow speed at contraction entrance is 10 m/s and the contraction rate is 6. Entrance diameter of the settling chamber is 1.22 m, total length of the settling chamber is 0.61 m. Expansion rate of the diffuser is 6, exit section diameter of the diffuser is 1.33 m, diffuser expansion angle is 7 and the total length of the diffuser is 6.47 m. Solid models of all components (test chamber, diffuser, contraction, honeycomb, screens, settling chamber, entrance section and fan) have been created in 1:1 scale using the solid modeling program, SolidWorks. These solid models have been modeled again in 1:1 scale as surface models using the same program.

Figure 1: Solid model of the designed wind tunnel 2D surface model geometry has been created using Fluent/Gambit software modules and transferred to Fluent 6.0 simulation module for analysis. Flow pressure that is provided by fan at the exit of diffuser has been accepted as constant static pressure, 400 Pa. The honeycomb and the screens have not been put into surface model of settling chamber. Constants and assumptions used in the simulation study are as follows: Static Pressure (P0): 760 mm HgS (101325 Pa) Gas constant (R) : 287 J/kg 0K Kinematic viscosity ( ) :1.714x10-5 kg/ms Maximum speed in Test chamber (Vmax.): 60 m/s Static pressure coefficient (Cp) :0.0035 Static pressure at exit cross-section of wind tunnel External ambient temperature (T0) :288.16 Acceleration of gravity (g) :9.81 Air density ( ) :1.2251 Entrance speed of wind tunnel (V0):10 : 400 Pa (steady)
0

K (15

C) m/s2 kg/m3 m/s

Simulation Results
Flow velocity, pressure, and turbulence simulation of the designed wind tunnel have been performed and the following graphs have been obtained. Figure 2 shows the flow speed changes within the wind tunnel. The lowest flow speed is occurred at the surfaces of the entrance section, connection corners of the settling chamber-the contraction and the diffuser exit. Flow speed accelerates while passing through the contraction, and it reaches the highest value in the test chamber. It is remarkable that the flow rate increases throughout the contraction and remains constant throughout the test chamber. Flow rate gradually decreases as from the test chamber exit and, at the diffuser exit, it reaches the same value with the wind tunnel entrance.

EnginSoft International Conference 2009

1st-2nd Oct. 2009

Figure 2: Flow speed changes in the designed wind tunnel

Figure 3: Static pressure changes throughout the wind tunnel The graphic of static pressure changes throughout the wind tunnel is shown in Figure 3. As seen in the figure the static pressure on the edges of the entrance section is the maximum value. It can be said that a major turbulence and counter pressure zone are created at these points. Static pressure values are closed to the each others at the settling chamber and the diffuser exit. A bit of static pressure drop is occurred in the middle zone of settling chamber exit (contraction entrance). The pressure is reached to the lowest value at the test chamber exit. Since the static pressure changes are very small throughout the test chamber, it can be said that there is not any boundary layer thickening along the test chamber walls and the wind tunnel quality is good. As seen in Figure 4, the turbulence depends on the flow speed is too much in the test chamber. The reasons for this are; the maximum flow speed is very high (63 m/s) in the test chamber and, the honeycomb and screens have not been put in the settling chamber simulation model.

EnginSoft International Conference 2009

1st-2nd Oct. 2009

Figure 4: Turbulence kinetic energy changes throughout the wind tunnel

Conclusions
In this study, a suction-type open-circuit subsonic wind tunnel has been designed. 3D solid model of this wind tunnel was created using SolidWorks 2006 solid modeling program. Air flow rate, static pressure changes and the formation of turbulence throughout this model were simulated using Fluent 6.0 simulation program. Since the flow speed is too much in the test chamber, turbulence occurs at the entrance and exit of the chamber and flow quality of the tunnel gets worse. To prevent this, fan should be run at low speeds. Also, turbulence is increased in the test chamber since honeycomb and screens are not used in the settling chamber model and the exit section pressure is fixed. Moreover, a turbulent region has been eventuated at the contraction exit (test chamber entrance). This situation has disturbed the flow in the test chamber. For this reason, the contraction profile should be reviewed and the contraction length should be increased in the required amount or slope of the contraction wall should be decreased to the appropriate amounts. A counter-pressure zone has been occurred on the entrance section surface. This counter-pressure zone has caused slight flow deterioration on the entrance section. To eliminate this deterioration, the length of the entrance section should be extended.

References
[1] Batill, S.M. and Hoffmann, J.J., The Aerodynamic Design of Three Dimensional Subsonic Wind Tunnel Inlets, AIAA Journal, V. 24, No. 2, 1986, pp. 268-269. [2] nan, A.T., "Design of Multi-Purpose Low Speed Subsonic Air Tunnel and Turbulence Measurements", Ph.D. Thesis, Marmara University, Science Institute, Istanbul, 2003. (In Turkish) [3] Senol, S., "Design and Computer-Aided Simulation of a Suction Type Subsonic Wind Tunnel", Master Thesis, Kocaeli University, Science Institute, Izmit, 2006. (In Turkish) [4] Cogotti, A., Evolution of Performance of an Automotive Wind Tunnel, J. Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, V. 96, 2008, pp. 667-700. [5] Chong, T.P., Joseph, P.F., Davies, P.O.A.L., Design and Performance of an Open Jet Wind Tunnel for Aero-Acoustic Measurement, Applied Acoustics, V.70, 2009, pp. 605-614. [6] Rae, W.H. and Pope, A., Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing, John Wiley & Sons , Inc., New York, USA, 1984.