Whether you're young, old, student, or teacher, building your own wind tunnel is easier than ever. inexpensive wind tunnel designs that you can build. "The true method of knowledge is experiment" - William Blake Towards the end of my junior year, my physics teacher challenged the class to work on a final project that would encompass all that we have learned over the year. With the dimensions of the given straws that I bought and some research, I was able to determine that I needed roughly have a fan that would be able to reach 5m/s (11.2 mph). Before I worked at Instructables, I worked at the Fluid Mechanics Lab at the NASA Ames Research Center, operating huge wind tunnels all day. For the intake component of the wind tunnel, we based the design of our intake on various sources and principles. Versatility is a key attribute to this design. I ended up going through I would say 8 or more packets of drinking straws. I genuinely owe the knowledge I have gained to Instructables and the community behind this wonderful website, allowing me to show to the world what I have made. There is also a If you work in, or have a strong interest in engineering, it’s a good bet that at some point you’ve seen and admired wind tunnel testing. Mar 8, 2015 - For our new Family Inventors' Lab class, we have built a fun tool,which encourages the kids to tinker - see my last post for how kids play with a wind tube. But that was something I was able to live with. I am making a small (desktop) wind tunnel for educational purposes, I want to have 10 fairly thick smoke-streams about 3cm apart. Vision in Aeronautics Report - Word Document, Barberton When air enters the tunnel, it has a larger area and slow speed, but when the area shrinks, the speed increases. Many might remember him from the equation that you learned in physics back in high school of constant= P + 1/2 p v^2 + p g h. An equation he helped contribute to, the continuity expression in physics of A1V1=A2V2. This was glued together instead of taped to add a more professional look to the whole attachment. Not only was it able to properly perform the function of the test section, there was much more satisfying balance between form and function. Glue 5. Weirdly enough, when I mentioned that I write Instructables for my Olin Candidates weekend, one of my interviewers mentioned that she was a friend of yours. It is a section of the wind tunnel that opens up slowly, increasing the cross sectional area slowly over a long distance. Although this is not a physical step to making the wind tunnel, experimentation is essential to any engineering process. This provides the foundation of wind tunnels by showing how if you decrease the cross sectional area, your speed subsequently increases. We ran many different types of test in our tunnel, ranging from cars and planes to sponges and balls. This apparatus will serve as demonstrations to visualize airflow. I hope I can visit or even work there one day too! There is still room for improvements and perfection is hard to obtain. Inspired by their support and constructive criticism, we went back to the drawing board and asked ourselves what could we do to improve our design. The… The design of the wind tunnels depends mainly on their final purpose. A DIY wind turbine is an easy and inexpensive way to convert wind power into electricity. Olin is such a great school, it's definitely given you the chance to work at such cool places like Ames research facility. of photographs that students have taken during the construction In these sequence of images, we experimented with three things, the flow visualization tool, the unrestricted fans with the baffles gone, and the construction paper cone that eliminated the dead space and turbulence of the intake. Furthermore, I decided that the construction paper was insufficient for the background since it would easily flare up and had an odd look to it so spray paint was used to make the background. This ible is meant more as a guide to learn from and is meant to work in tandem to the first guide. Apart from vertical wind tunnels and others used for specific tests (e.g. The wind tunnel moves air around an object, making it seem as if the object is really flying. DIY Downforce – How to Design Front Splitters, Diffusers, Flat Bottoms, Wings and more! Decorations were also added to add some color and life to the bland sides. ***Exercise safety while working with dry ice and hot water! Contact Glenn. Besides military or automotive facilities, they can often be found in museums and educational science centers, where one could test out a wing shape or even a DIY parachute! Save Share. This was made from 4 pieces of trapezoidal shaped foamboard, with dimensions of Base1=12", Base2=15", and Height=40". In addition to these four components, there are small parts of the tunnel that make it either more accurate or easier to gather data. Information about and operation of their wind tunnels. Toy airplane 7. I am aiming to achieve a windspeed approximately at 10-20 m/s. This tunnel can be built for less than $100 and uses a computer fan motor to move air past small models. We were stunned initially when we met him, missing the opportunity to take a photo with him (sadly). Therefore, it was spray painted with a black and gold color scheme (our school's colors) and a red top for cautionary purposes. Experiment!. For the tunnel, the opposite effect is achieved with this design, taking in a lot of air and channeling it into a directed flow to the test bed of the tunnel. This exhibit was timed such that it would be right before students learned about the basics of aerodynamics and drag. I would cut the straws in thirds into roughly 7cm sections and line them up for gluing. I also had the opportunity to display my tunnel when my school's robotics team had the chance to run a Junior FLL Expo. A chicken tunnel! Tunnels created with the bottom-up method must be back-filled to cover over the tunnel roof and any surface that is to exist above the tunnel roof is then built or rebuilt. 6 years ago The way that flow is controlled was developed by my genius partner, Ian. In the end, it all comes down to the standards that one personally holds with craftsmanship and what is to be gained from the experiences learned. We were one of 120 exhibitors at the Faire, the first of it's kind at San Diego but surely not the only one ever. For my wind tunnel, I used scrap BT-50 size tubes (each about 1 inch in diameter) to make the flow straighten-er section. This step may even not necessary if you feel that it will not matter since the effect of not having it is negligible. A small wind tunnel is an effective way to test the aerodynamics of model planes. + NASA Privacy Statement, Disclaimer, The biggest aspect of this project is the parts required in order to build the apparatus. 5 years ago LINK TO PART 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAiiYNaUyv8 Share it with us! After all, form does follow function. A simple way to do this is to secure a rope close to the edge of the poly at each end of the tunnel by placing an object such as a tennis ball under the plastic and tying the rope around it through the plastic. DIY. The aesthetics of the fan was also vital to the wind tunnel as a whole since it was an integral part to the instrument as a whole. About: In my free time, I enjoy building/modifying/dismantling anything I can get my hands on. [5] Duct Tape 6. More emphasis was placed on having a working design versus having it look ascetically pleasing. The Kodo Kids Wind Tunnel was specifically designed for children to experiment with and learn about the movement of air. Text Only Site In the late 1950's, I built a successful wind tunnel (actually a smoke tunnel if you will). NASA uses wind tunnels to test scale models of aircraft and spacecraft. Wind tunnels are simply hollow tubes; at one end, they have powerful fans that create a flow of air inside the tunnel. High School Wind Tunnel, "Little Smokey" - Flow Visualization Wind Tunnel, + Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No Fear Act, + Budgets, Strategic Plans and Accountability Reports. **This is my version of the BOM (Bill of Materials) & tools. The NASA Glenn Research Then the rope is thrown over the tunnel and the plastic pulled over the tunnel using the rope. However, if thought of as a learning curve, mistakes often lead to alternate approaches to problems which eventually leads to successes. After a long iterative process, we were able to compile and assimilate the suggested ideas and started to build. This makes sense using the continuity equation (A1V1=A2V2) since with as the air enters the diffuser, A1 is low and V1 is high and when the diffuser opens up at the other end, A2 increases resulting in a decreased V2. After our build, we published a guide on Instructables (available here). I made a grid of tubes 9 tubes wide by 9 tubes high (total of 81 tubes). Using simple wire coat hangers, he was able to unbend them such that they took the shape of a hoop with a small loop on the top. Without a further ado, I would like to present our DIY Wind Tunnel 2.0, Project Paperclip. Very clever and brilliant idea. I'm very impressed with your project and that you were able to use so many recycled materials and get good results! This opportunity was presented when I learned about MakerFaire from searching local science fairs. As a testing device, we would be also able to demonstrate our instrument to groups of students and teachers, helping them visualize and understand the complex study of aerodynamics. A wind tunnel consists of a tubular passage with the object under test mounted in the middle. Oh cool! Very good job!! It's for determining if the flow is straight and laminar or if it's all swirly and turbulent. As with all science projects, experimentation is key. Thanks for sharing :-) Voted! I have learned a lot from my mistakes and successes during this project. Third Prize in the Full Spectrum Laser Contest, Third Prize in the Scientific Method Contest, Participated in the Green Electronics Challenge. Essentially, the equation goes as such: "Re= ρvD/μ, where ρ is the density of the fluid (air in our case), v is the velocity, D is the diameter of the pipe the fluid is going through, and µ is the dynamic viscosity" (Instructables user Hawkeye_bkj [Thank you for the help]). Meeting him was the highlight of our day. This wind tunnel was designed to provide lift measurements for various airfoil shapes, in support of DIY Project #7 - Rubber-Powered Model Airplane. The design of a wind tunnel is very simple, consisting of four main parts: an intake section, a testing section, a diffuser, and a fan (or array of fans). This document provides design drawings and materials lists for the DIY wind tunnel used in Lectures 9 and 10 of “Do it Yourself Engineering,” taught by Professor Stephen Ressler and … Essentially, the role of the diffuser is to slow down the air that speeds past the models in the test section. Although at HW scale, it might be hard to see how the smoke is moving, since it's hard to see at 1/18 scale. This DIY resource for teachers will guide you through building your own Wind Tunnel to use in class, or with our Wind Tunnel Lesson Plan. We had the choice to learn something new, hone a specific discipline, or develop a method to teach the class about a specific subject. Photo Credits: #1: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2005/2005-Pagani-Zonda-F-n-Wind-Tunnel-1600x1200.jpg #2: http://airfactsjournal.com/files/2012/09/wind-tunnel.jpg #3: http://www.efluids.com/efluids/gallery/gallery_pages/HW019/Werle_19.jpg #4: http://www.cdn.sciencebuddies.org/Files/503/9/wind-tunnel_F.jpg #5: https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/Images/tuntest.jpg #6: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9omxPSGsnr4/UM9nx3kN0sI/AAAAAAAAT8M/iRJpWE3bkiA/s1600/open-circuit-wind-tunnel.jpg. Wind Tunnel Fundamentals . wind tunnel design that was developed at NASA Glenn during the Cool, what speed you can get in the test section? 1. Air enters the Contraction Cone, where the inlet is larger than the outlet. These are a few of the chosen images and videos that were taken of the tests, taken either by my friend, Pranav or I. Build Your Own Inexpensive Wind Tunnel Continued from page 4 Ours is cheap. The maker movement is strong in these parts and we were glad to be a part of it. + Inspector General Hotline TunnelSys is composed of three programs that simulate the design, wind tunnel testing, and post-processing of wind tunnel data. I gotta say, I am pretty speechless... being able to impress one of the great members I look up to on Instructables. + Budgets, Strategic Plans and Accountability Reports Please give me some guidance.Thank you for your time and help :). I have tried many variations of material (incense, fog machine, dry ice, etc) and vessel (glass, Styrofoam, plastic, etc) with none of them being close to perfect. As with most well-designed engineering systems, all these components come together to accomplish the task of helping one visualize and understand the aerodynamic properties of various objects and designs. When I was making my flow straightener, I recall learning from feedback on my last guide that the dimensions of the honeycomb array of flow straighteners should fall within a certain range of values dictated by an equation known as the Reynolds Number (wiki link). It was exciting to see the aerodynamics of unconventional objects and verify the visualization of conventional items. The integration of lights within the tunnel were added along with a black construction paper backdrop to optimize visualization of the smoke. But it will be adequate for finding the CP location on a rocket. In my mind, I knew that I wanted to find a project that encompassed all three of these criteria. While researching about the way other wind tunnels are designed, we encountered that many of the tunnels had intakes that similar to a bell shape or like the profile of speakers. and Accessibility Certification, A Building a wind tunnel can also be a fun project in itself. on Introduction. The main purpose of this project is to build a functional miniature DIY wind tunnel to be used in physics classrooms and laboratories. By freeing up the fan, I would ensure optimal flow without altering the fan electrically. Thank you for your kind words. If I was to make it for a science expo what would a possible purpose of building it be other than observing the drag of different articles, Nice job jamesabt007,However I would like to know how long the Dry Ice lasts.Regards, Stephen, Reply String 8. 1. Making the honeycomb array took quite a while. When we constructed our high tunnel, it was created similarly, made mainly out of … To see more of the videos that were not provided on this guide, click here for the whole playlist of the filmed tests. After my experiences with having to transport the instrument, this attribute has been really useful in terms of cargo space and ease. ~~~Materials: -Foam board (also know as Foamcore), *Note: a cheap alternative of cardboard can be used also, -Tape (I prefer different types for various applications), -Sylvania MOSAIC™ Flexible LED Light Strips (link here) (Replaces: Christmas light). Working on this project has definitely been one of the best things that I have ever experienced. + The President's Management Agenda this project is summarized below: Here is a The second iteration of the wind tunnel test section was far superior than the second one. Make a cardboard sleeve with the same cross- section as the tunnel, and pack it with 2" pieces of drinking straws — this part goes faster with a small- fingered helper. Would I need some thing like an industrial fan such as this: http://www.bunnings.com.au/dynabreeze-60cm-blue-industrial-drum-fan_p4440780Or should i make some thing like this so I can control the fan speed with PWM :https://www.instructables.com/id/PC-Box-Fan/So for a 120mm fan, the flow rate is usually between 50~75 CFM. Great ideas or solutions to problems are not always obtained from the first go. Jeremy S. Cook Follow. TunnelSys: (245KB) Using the TunnelSys applet, students learn about the process of wind tunnel testing. Although wind tunnels are not as prevalent as other high precision instruments, they have huge implications on the everyday lives of everyone and everything on Earth and beyond. After much research and understanding the much appreciated feedback from my previous guide, I was able to design a more adequate tunnel. click here for the whole playlist of the filmed tests. 4 years ago. This has inspired me to make one as well.However, I am really new to the concept of aerodynamics and really need some guidance for my university project.The size of the testing section needs to be 60cm x 60cm (or 24" x 24"). Setting Up The Tunnel . However, I am certain that this factor is a rough estimate since the density of the air is assumed to be constant and uniform with the friction between the air and material is overlooked. For many professional labs, this section of the wind tunnel often swapped out with different tests that the lab plans to run in them. This led to development in using Styrofoam cups which are insulators and less likely to lose the cold due to conduction. to use in the classroom to demonstrate aeronautical principals. 3D Warehouse is adding a new feature for verified companies like yours. It's a small school, as you know, so most people within a couple grades of each other know each other, haha. Scissors 9. + Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No Fear Act For making the device, 3 Styrofoam cups were used. Fan 2. 12 Milk cartons (1 quart size) I have experimented with incense but the stream is not thick enough and barely visible. How to Secure Row Covers on Low Tunnels. I have no idea how to convert this to m/s and if I use 25 fans, would this mean I just need to add the CFM together?I am afraid that the industrial maybe too strong and the PC fan box may not be strong enough. 2 years ago. Some plastic wrap was added so that the volume of the container would be smaller, allowing for the smoke formed through the reaction between dry ice and hot water to flow through the tube easier and not get stuck in the vessel. Learn more Get new content delivered directly to your inbox. Some specific details may be left out intentionally to allow for a certain degree of independence and creativity. Reply. How do you recommend we get started with designing the sizes and materials? All of these links will take you It would be great to see what a real MakerFaire, such as the one in San Francisco, is like. A really good trail of smoke can be created from the dry ice + hot water combo with the drawback of having to replace the solution with new ice and water after a certain time. It was also recommended that I achieve a Reynolds number around 2300. Although seemingly simple, generating the smoke trails that help visualize the airflow around objects is difficult. This is a Home made Wind tunnel that i built using simple and non-expensive Materials. The method that I used to construct the cone is outlined in the following link, available here. Centennial of Flight Celebration in 2003. The set up that I utilize currently is the cheapest and simplest one that I have found in relation to the smoke being created. The goal Key attributes of my diffuser was that it is very modular, being able to fold up from being a large roughly 15" X 15" X 40" rectangular prism to a 30" X 1" X 40" flat board. Some wind tunnels are large enough to contain full-size versions of vehicles. pressurised or cryogenic wind tunnels), most of the LSWTs can be categorised into two basic groups: open and closed circuit. A wind tunnel is a chamber through which high-speed air is passed. 2016. A wind tunnel can be used to test airplanes, automobiles, or anything that you want to see how well it passes through the air. Tunnels created with the top-down method are dug out below where the tunnel walls and roof were erected, and then a base slab, which serves as the tunnel floor, is created. As a result, the overall speed of the air across the test section is increased by a certain factor. So my question is what kind of fan do I need? From visualizing the aerodynamics effects of different objects and meeting Mr. Dale Dougherty of MAKE Magazine at SD Mini Maker Faire, to seeing kids excited about something as complex and arcane as aerodynamics and having fun building, this has been a wonderful journey. Complete plans for the tunnel can be downloaded for free from the web page. The intake additionally functions to speed up the air incoming due to the conservation of energy, where A1V1=A2V2 (A=Cross sectional area, V=Velocity of fluid). Great job! This DIY wind tunnel works the same way as most open-circuit wind tunnels do. Center Learning Technologies Project supported a project, between 1993 A guide to improving your car’s downforce and aerodynamic performance efficiently, without wind tunnel testing or CFD analysis. Additionally, many parents were excited themselves about the wind tunnel, often asking more questions than their kids. The straws are integral to the wind tunnel. gallery GO STEM!!! $100 and uses a computer fan motor to move air past small models. It is all a learning curve. I hope to see future events grow in both exhibitors and visitors. Built off the original test section, I redid the corner panels with a proper chamfering to ensure a flush, smooth joint between the walls and the side panels. The straws reduce turbulence, but they also cut the wind speed by several mph, and the tunnel will work without them. This was wonderful because during trails with my teacher's wind speed indicator, I was able to reach a value close to 11.2 mph with slight variations that would put the Reynolds number a tad lower. Pull plastic over the tunnel. The main objective of building this wind tunnel was to be able to educate people about the implications of aerodynamic testing and inspire youth's interest in STEM. This was supplemented with 4 long pieces that formed a 45-45-90 degree triangle with the square cross section, making the shape an octagon. Making things takes a great deal of trial and error, often times resulting in more of the latter than the former. + Organic Gardening. on Introduction. Here is a great resources for further understanding this concept behind this pat of the wind tunnel: Link, To delve into further detail, here is a great resource provided by the American Society for Engineering Education: Link. This is the first iteration of the test section that I ended up using. Within a few days, it grew on a humongous, unanticipated scale. I originally planned to enter the project into a science fair but found the qualifications too limiting and stringent. This was a relatively simple design and cheap. This tunnel can be built for less than By placing half into the tunnel, we are able to manipulate the direction of the smoke by pushing it either left or right, up or down, or a combo of both. Models of aircraft (or actual aircraft) can be mounted in a wind tunnel so that flight conditions can be simulated and engineers can study how well a design will fly. We were able to conclude that the although the fan modifications helped increase the flow and speed of the flow output, it could be further refined with a longer cone and hermetically sealed fan and tunnel connector. Going into this project, we did not know much about wind tunnels, much less how to build one. Reply Hello!Current senior in high school looking to make a closed wind tunnel for a project. If I remember correctly, we were able to hit a range of speeds from 5m/s to 13m/s. One of the major goals of the project was building an accurate and precise instrument for flow visualization whilst keeping the cost down. - 1996, in which high school students built a small sub-sonic wind tunnel It helped better explain what factors go into the B in F=-bv. of this project was to advance the students' level of understanding in In addition to these four components, there are small parts of the tunnel that make it either more accurate or easier to gather data. Two leftover Lexan sheets were cut to the same width as the long pieces to act as a clear bridge between the sides. I have attached my plans in as an image and as a pdf so feel free to check those out. for the tunnel can be downloaded for free from the web page. This clear, pivoting tube is a unique teaching tool which supports exploration and invites investigation. They can be further divided into open and closed test section type. Wandering Wind Tunnel, Aviation Layer upon layer, I slowly glued the straws together with Elmers glue and eventually resulted in an array that looked beautiful. Incoming air from the test section enters the part of the wind tunnel known as the diffuser. Since the project was sponsored by our high school AP Physics teacher, we brought in the wind tunnel to show students. Air is made to move past the object by a powerful fan system or other means. This site is dedicated to helping you build your very own wind tunnel. The design of a wind tunnel is very simple, consisting of four main parts: an intake section, a testing section, a diffuser, and a fan (or array of fans). Aviation High School Wind Tunnel Here is a wind tunnel design that was developed at NASA Glenn during the Centennial of Flight Celebration in 2003. Very well done. ... they provide protection from wind, hail, and most critters while speeding soil warm-up for summer crops. Reply The technique used to combine the pieces together is similar to the methods used in step 4, the intake. Homesteading & Livestock. By using as many recycled materials as possible and creatively using the money allotted (including using many coupons), we were able to successfully keep the cost of the project to under $100 USD. A small fan can be used to generate the wind. With this, the top of another cup is sliced off and added to the original set up inverted such that a sealed compartment can be achieved. Here is a really good visual that I found that explains the difference: here. The design increased speed by a factor of two. I would recommend it over using incense or a fog machine as of now due to the dangers involved with the machine and the dizziness induced by the smoke. You will need the following supplies for this experiment: 1. It was powered by a surplus (Mom's extra) vaccuum cleaner motor and blower assy, using a butterfly baffle to control the flow. Photo Credits: #2: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/Images/tunpart.gif. Making this lesson hands on with an experiment is the best way to get the students to understand the concepts taught. On December 7th, 2013, Ian and I demonstrated our project at San Diego's First Annual Mini MakerFaire. I am currently an engineering student at UCLA and look forward to sharing more projects with the Instructables community…, http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2005/2005-Pagani-Zonda-F-n-Wind-Tunnel-1600x1200.jpg, http://airfactsjournal.com/files/2012/09/wind-tunnel.jpg, http://www.efluids.com/efluids/gallery/gallery_pages/HW019/Werle_19.jpg, http://www.cdn.sciencebuddies.org/Files/503/9/wind-tunnel_F.jpg, https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/Images/tuntest.jpg, http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9omxPSGsnr4/UM9nx3kN0sI/AAAAAAAAT8M/iRJpWE3bkiA/s1600/open-circuit-wind-tunnel.jpg, http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/k-12/airplane/Images/tunpart.gif. Very well explained - the effort put in is clearly visible! A metal heating duct forms the tunnel. From cars, airplanes, and space-faring vehicles, to buildings, bridges, and skyscrapers, knowledge and understanding gained from wind tunnel research provides a conduit for mankind's drive for innovation. Mythbusters did a scale DIY wind tunnel, which might be worth trying to find for ideas. Thank you to my partners Ian Kelley and Ned Anderson for helping make this build possible and to Jonathon Boyle and Pranav Santan for assistance and guidance. DIY Wind Tunnel Welcome! This design is advantageous since it helps amplify the sound waves into the air from a compact source. I do not think I would be able to jump directly from the second iteration of the test section without learning from what worked and did not in the first iteration. + Non-Flash Version The smoke visualization proved to be ineffective with a glass jar since the ice would easily freeze the container and we feared it shattering the whole jar. If you have any specific questions, please contact me and I will be glad to help out in any way. Two of them were first stacked within another with a hole added to the side for the tubing. Especially since the fan I used is an old fan, the efficiency of the fan was already low. Well the physics behind it are based off of the work of Daniel Bernoulli, a Swiss physicist. There hundreds of elementary school kids and they all enjoyed seeing the tunnel. This array was designed to fit into the connector between the intake and the test section. If you are expecting high winds, or when it is time to get additional plastic covers in place for colder temperatures, you will want to secure the cover. Who was your interviewer? Most of all, thank you (the reader) for being a part of this wonderful,supportive community of doers and have a wonderful day.