The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels with TunnelSim and TunnelSys Tom Benson Inlets and Nozzles Branch NASA Glenn Research Center Carol Galica Educational Programs Office Anthony Vila Mechanical Engineering Student Vanderbilt University 4 Jan 10

OUTLINE Background / Rationale Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels (BGT) TunnelSim TunnelSys Summary

BACKGROUND For the past 12 years, NASA Glenn has been building a web-based textbook, the Beginner’s Guide to Aeronautics, (BGA) that includes information about airplanes, turbine engines, model rockets, kites, baseball, compressible aerodynamics and hypersonic aerodynamics. The textbook includes scientific and mathematical descriptive pages, interactive Java applets, teacher created activities, podcasts, and PowerPoint presentations.

Sample Web Pages FoilSim software Beginner’s Guide To Aeronautics

The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels (BGT) Create a new section of the BGA dealing with Wind Tunnels Wind Tunnel Testing (Web version of Pope’s Wind Tunnel Testing) Gather existing web-based information Develop new web pages and interactive software

BGT Index - Part 1

Typical Web Pages Strain Gage Low Speed Tunnel

BGT Index - Part 2

TunnelSim – Software to Design a Tunnel A Java applet that solves the one-dimensional continuity equation through an open tube. Flow assumed to be incompressible and inviscid. Student can vary geometry or flow conditions at the bellmouth, test section, or diffuser, and the program computes conditions at all other places through the tunnel Output includes variation through the tunnel and conditions in the test section Violations of assumptions are flagged. On-line user’s manual and BGT support for science and math.

TunnelSim

TunnelSys – Software for Design Class Three Java applications dealing with three aspects of wind tunnel testing: Design of Wind Tunnel Model Wind Tunnel Testing Techniques Data Post-Processing Programs pass information to each other by data files Suggest a fourth team member to act as program manager Based on FoilSim – determine lift performance of a wing design On-line user’s manual and demonstration applets

TunnelSys – Design Program

TunnelSys – Test Program

TunnelSys – Processing Program

Future Plans Later versions of TunnelSim to include closed circuit tunnels, loss estimates in the corners, and power requirements for the motor Later versions of TunnelSys to include drag estimation, and lift calculation based on user static pressure number and location. Additional web pages and topics to be added based on user feedback on current configuration.

SUMMARY A new section of the BGA has been developed which deals with the subject of wind tunnels and wind tunnel testing techniques. Site became active in September, 2009. Access by entering “Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnel” in your search engine. Two major Java programs have been developed; TunnelSim for the design and analysis of a low speed wind tunnel, and TunnelSys for use in a design class dealing with model design, testing, and post-processing Later versions of software and web pages to be determined by user feedback and NASA support.

This work was supported by Tony Springer Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) NASA Headquarters and NASA Glenn Educational Programs Office

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