Apparatus and method for seeding a wind tunnel
AssigneeGovernment of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorNatalia Posada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable tracer fluid injection system. The system has a vapor cloud generator which vaporizes a vapor cloud generating liquid. The vapor cloud generator is uses a sub-ohm resistive heater to vaporize small volumes of the vapor cloud generating liquid, allowing for a relatively small tracer fluid injection system. This system has the benefit of being able to target specific regions of a test object within a wind tunnel and being usable for different positions within the test section of a wind tunnel.
Claims20
A tracer fluid injection system comprising:
- A sub-ohm resistive heated vapor cloud generator for generating vapor cloud when a vapor cloud generating liquid is disposed therein, the sub-ohm resistive heated vapor cloud generator having an inlet for receiving air from an air source, whereby air entering the inlet may be entrained with a vapor cloud being generated by the sub-ohm resistive heated vapor cloud generator;
- and having an exhaust for controlled evacuation of the vapor cloud from the sub-ohm resistive heated vapor cloud generator to a test section of a wind tunnel.
A tracer fluid injection system for seeding a wind tunnel, the system comprising:
- a vapor cloud generator for generating a vapor cloud from a vapor cloud generating liquid, the vapor cloud generator comprising a chamber, the chamber having an airflow region and a reservoir in fluid communication therewith, the reservoir being in operable relationship with an electrically powered sub-ohm heating coil for vaporizing the vapor cloud generating liquid, containable within the reservoir, into a tracer fluid, a wick for transferring the liquid from the reservoir to the air flow region, the air flow region having an inlet for receiving air from an air source, whereby air entering the inlet is entrained with the vapor cloud generated by the sub-ohm heating coil, the airflow region having an exhaust in fluid communication with the air flow region of the chamber and in fluid communication a test section of a wind tunnel for controlled evacuation of the vapor cloud from the sub ohm vapor cloud generator to a predetermined position of the test section.
A method of testing a test object in a wind tunnel, the method comprising:
- providing an air source in fluid communication with an inlet of a vapor cloud generator having a chamber, the chamber having a sub-ohm resistive heating element to vaporize fluid from a reservoir;
- delivering air from the air source to the inlet of the vapor cloud chamber;
- applying less than 200 W of power to the resistor whereby the sub-ohm resistive heating element vaporizes a vapor cloud generating liquid disposed in a reservoir into a vapor cloud, the reservoir being in fluid communication with the inlet and in fluid communication with an exhaust;
- evacuating the vapor cloud from the chamber to the exhaust;
- directing the vapor cloud through the exhaust to an operating wind tunnel;
- the operating wind tunnel having a test section with a test object therein, the test object being exposed to wind in the test section;
- and
- injecting the vapor cloud from the exhaust to a predetermined position juxtaposed with the test section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.