Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Need help building a wind tunnel

  1. #1
    YUKIKAZE arthurleung's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Aberdeen
    Posts
    3,280
    Thanks
    8
    Thanked
    88 times in 83 posts
    • arthurleung's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P5E (Rampage Formula 0902)
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core2Quad Q9550 3.6Ghz 1.2V
      • Memory:
      • A-Data DDR2-800 2x2GB CL4
      • Storage:
      • 4x1TB WD1000FYPS @ RAID5 3Ware 9500S-8 / 3x 1TB Samsung Ecogreen F2
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GeCube HD4870 512MB
      • PSU:
      • Corsair VX450
      • Case:
      • Antec P180
      • Operating System:
      • Windows Server 2008 Standard
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell Ultrasharp 2709W + 2001FP
      • Internet:
      • Be*Unlimited 20Mbps

    Need help building a wind tunnel

    I'm starting a project for my AH Physics. Planning to build a wind tunnel, but wondering what kind of fan should I use to power the wind tunnel? Going to test some aerofoil in it so I'll probably need 5~15m/s going thru the tunnel.

    Thinking of fitting may be 8 high speed delta 12cm fans but I'm wondering if they can push enough air through the tunnel to get that kind of wind speed? The tunnel size will be about 31*x cm (where x = 10~31). Those high speed fans cost a lot though So I'm looking for alternative solutions or fans to do the job. Could be an industrial fan or computer case fans. Either running on 12V or mains is fine. But I need a speed control to adjust the wind speed. Thanks everyone
    Last edited by arthurleung; 09-10-2005 at 06:01 AM.
    Workstation 1: Intel i7 950 @ 3.8Ghz / X58 / 12GB DDR3-1600 / HD4870 512MB / Antec P180
    Workstation 2: Intel C2Q Q9550 @ 3.6Ghz / X38 / 4GB DDR2-800 / 8400GS 512MB / Open Air
    Workstation 3: Intel Xeon X3350 @ 3.2Ghz / P35 / 4GB DDR2-800 / HD4770 512MB / Shuttle SP35P2
    HTPC: AMD Athlon X4 620 @ 2.6Ghz / 780G / 4GB DDR2-1000 / Antec Mini P180 White
    Mobile Workstation: Intel C2D T8300 @ 2.4Ghz / GM965 / 3GB DDR2-667 / DELL Inspiron 1525 / 6+6+9 Cell Battery

    Display (Monitor): DELL Ultrasharp 2709W + DELL Ultrasharp 2001FP
    Display (Projector): Epson TW-3500 1080p
    Speakers: Creative Megaworks THX550 5.1
    Headphones: Etymotic hf2 / Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro

    Storage: 8x2TB Hitachi @ DELL PERC 6/i RAID6 / 13TB Non-RAID Across 12 HDDs
    Consoles: PS3 Slim 120GB / Xbox 360 Arcade 20GB / PS2

  2. #2
    mmh
    mmh is offline
    Full Stack Operator mmh's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    UK, Stourbridge
    Posts
    1,804
    Thanks
    148
    Thanked
    95 times in 56 posts
    i have an industrial type fan that i use for band usage... it has a controller, but only a 3 step controller, i bought it from currys for £30 i think. its 18" which is alot bigger than u need, but if you make a cone to the size you want, the wind pressure will build up more inside the wind tunnel... maybe too much for what u need though.
    Its mains controlled btw... reply to me if you want more info... MMH
    : RFNX Ste | : stegough | www.stegough.com

  3. #3
    Kirstie Allsopp Theo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Sunny Bolton
    Posts
    2,777
    Thanks
    17
    Thanked
    23 times in 20 posts
    • Theo's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P5B Wifi deluxe
      • CPU:
      • E6600 @ 3150Mhz
      • Memory:
      • 2x2GB OCZ 6400
      • Storage:
      • 1x80GB Maxtor
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 640MB 8800GT
      • Monitor(s):
      • ASUS M221u
      • Internet:
      • Be Value
    If you have any more details about what sort of air movement you'll need I might be able to help

  4. #4
    YUKIKAZE arthurleung's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Aberdeen
    Posts
    3,280
    Thanks
    8
    Thanked
    88 times in 83 posts
    • arthurleung's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P5E (Rampage Formula 0902)
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core2Quad Q9550 3.6Ghz 1.2V
      • Memory:
      • A-Data DDR2-800 2x2GB CL4
      • Storage:
      • 4x1TB WD1000FYPS @ RAID5 3Ware 9500S-8 / 3x 1TB Samsung Ecogreen F2
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GeCube HD4870 512MB
      • PSU:
      • Corsair VX450
      • Case:
      • Antec P180
      • Operating System:
      • Windows Server 2008 Standard
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell Ultrasharp 2709W + 2001FP
      • Internet:
      • Be*Unlimited 20Mbps
    I just need a simple wind tunnel with an aerofoil inside to measure lift and drag. Thanks mmh I'll have a look in currys. Hopefully the air pressure will be enough. Coz theoretically a delta 12cm screamer fan will put out roughly 1.1m/s according to my calc.
    Workstation 1: Intel i7 950 @ 3.8Ghz / X58 / 12GB DDR3-1600 / HD4870 512MB / Antec P180
    Workstation 2: Intel C2Q Q9550 @ 3.6Ghz / X38 / 4GB DDR2-800 / 8400GS 512MB / Open Air
    Workstation 3: Intel Xeon X3350 @ 3.2Ghz / P35 / 4GB DDR2-800 / HD4770 512MB / Shuttle SP35P2
    HTPC: AMD Athlon X4 620 @ 2.6Ghz / 780G / 4GB DDR2-1000 / Antec Mini P180 White
    Mobile Workstation: Intel C2D T8300 @ 2.4Ghz / GM965 / 3GB DDR2-667 / DELL Inspiron 1525 / 6+6+9 Cell Battery

    Display (Monitor): DELL Ultrasharp 2709W + DELL Ultrasharp 2001FP
    Display (Projector): Epson TW-3500 1080p
    Speakers: Creative Megaworks THX550 5.1
    Headphones: Etymotic hf2 / Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro

    Storage: 8x2TB Hitachi @ DELL PERC 6/i RAID6 / 13TB Non-RAID Across 12 HDDs
    Consoles: PS3 Slim 120GB / Xbox 360 Arcade 20GB / PS2

  5. #5
    Kirstie Allsopp Theo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Sunny Bolton
    Posts
    2,777
    Thanks
    17
    Thanked
    23 times in 20 posts
    • Theo's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P5B Wifi deluxe
      • CPU:
      • E6600 @ 3150Mhz
      • Memory:
      • 2x2GB OCZ 6400
      • Storage:
      • 1x80GB Maxtor
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 640MB 8800GT
      • Monitor(s):
      • ASUS M221u
      • Internet:
      • Be Value
    A TD160 can be had for around £45-60. I'd imagine that a proper ventilation fan would be more up your alley?

  6. #6
    Senior Member chrestomanci's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Reading
    Posts
    1,614
    Thanks
    94
    Thanked
    96 times in 80 posts
    • chrestomanci's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus AMD AM4 Ryzen PRIME B350M
      • CPU:
      • AMD Ryzen 1600 @ stock clocks
      • Memory:
      • 16Gb DDR4 2666MHz
      • Storage:
      • 250Gb Samsung 960 Evo M.2 + 3Tb Western Digital Red
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Basic AMD GPU (OSS linux drivers)
      • PSU:
      • Novatech 500W
      • Case:
      • Silverstone Sugo SG02
      • Operating System:
      • Linux - Latest Xubuntu
      • Monitor(s):
      • BenQ 24" LCD (Thanks: DDY)
      • Internet:
      • Zen FTTC
    Seriously, you will have to do some calculations to work out what you need. You said that you need the air to move at 5-15 m/s, so from and the cross sectional area of the tunnel, that you should be able to work out how much air your fans need to move each minute, and choose appropriately.

    I have just done some quick calculations, and I have worked out that if your tunnel is 30cm square, then to move the air at 15 m/s you need to move 1.35 cubic metres per second, or 81 per minute, which is about 2850 cfm. Even if those 8 high speed delta 12cm fans are working at perfect efficiency, I doubt they can each move air at 357 cfm.

    Anyway, those are ballpark figures, you need to go away and do some maths, and work out for the size of your wind tunnel design.

    Also, I would not assume that your fans will work at better than half their ideal performance, so I would put in more fans than needed, and use a flow meter to measure the air speed, and a rheostat to adjust the fan so as to get the correct speed for you experiment.

    Also remember that the air coming of a fan will be quite turbulent, and will contain lots of eddies etc that will interfere with your aerofoil design. To get a laminar flow, you will need to pass the air though a honeycomb like mesh, to get all the air moving smoothly, and in the same direction.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Building new system in the next 3 months
    By TooNice in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 22-07-2005, 02:12 PM
  2. Building my first SFF system.
    By Foxile in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 05-01-2005, 08:09 PM
  3. Building my own 2.1
    By r1zeek in forum Consumer Electronics
    Replies: 17
    Last Post: 02-01-2005, 11:03 PM
  4. Good step by step PC building guides?
    By subucni in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 26-08-2004, 10:43 AM
  5. To Break wind or not to break wind (at work)
    By Romanov in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 31
    Last Post: 17-06-2004, 02:14 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •