Adaptive automatic wall wind tunnel
AssigneeThe Aro Corporation
InventorJames L. Jacocks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus is disclosed for achieving interference-free fluid velocity distributions in the plane of the walls of a subsonic wind tunnel. Adjustable slats having longitudinal baffles therebetween make up the test section walls, excluding the ground plane, and extend upstream and downstream of the vehicle to be tested. Static pressure measurements along the centerline of each slat provide information that enables calculation of the slat contour required to achieve close matching of the streamlines within the tunnel to those occurring on the road.
Claims9
A wind tunnel test section for achieving substantially interference-free velocity distributions in the planes of the walls and ceiling thereof when a test object is situated therein comprising
- a support structure external to said test section,
- a ground plane supporting said object,
- flexible longitudinal slats coacting with baffle means to define said walls and ceiling such that said walls and ceilings are substantially solid, each said slat adjustably mounted on said support structure by a plurality of jack means along the length of said slat for adjusting the position of said slat relative to said support structure, and
- transducer means mounted at a plurality of locations along said slats for sensing fluid flow conditions at said transducer means,
- whereby said jack means may be actuated to adjust the position of said slats to achieve said substantially interference-free velocity distribution in response to conditions sensed by said transducer means.
A method of operating a wind tunnel having an exterior support structure, flexible longitudinal slats adjustably mounted on said support structure by a plurality of actuable jack means along the length of said slats for adjusting the position of said slats relative to said support structure, baffle means mounted on said support structure and coacting with said slats to define substantially solid walls and ceiling, a ground plane having a test object mounted thereon, pressure transducers mounted along said slats for measuring the static pressure at said transducers, and position sensors for sensing the position of said slats comprising the steps of
- initially approximating the proper position of said slats to conform with desired streamline conditions in said tunnel,
- actuating said jacks to position said slats in said approximated proper position,
- measuring the static pressure at said pressure transducers and sensing the position of said slats,
- reapproximating the proper position of said slats from said pressure measurements and said slat positions;
- and
- reactuating said jacks in accordance with the results of said reapproximation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.