Wind Tunnel

For over 10 years, Professor Rob White’s microscale sensors and systems lab has been developing a low-turbulence, Mach 0.5 wind tunnel for testing various electrical components.

I joined the project in the fall of 2024 as the tunnel was nearing completion. The major sections of the tunnel had been built, and the structure refined through years of work. The blower, which powers the entire tunnel, had just arrived, meaning a lot of work was needed to get it up and running. The other major components that were needed were ducts to loop the flow back around to the start of the tunnel, and couplers to attach the different sections.

First, I looked into modifying our blower to compact the tunnel. Initially, the tunnel was in a "top-horizonal" configuration, meaning that the outlet port was on top and facing out. I figured out how to change the fan rotation to "down-blast," so the back flow tubes would be less obtrusive. I also constructed a wooden stand for the blower that would align it with the rest of the tunnel. The tunnel was successfully run for the first time in the Summer of 2025, and we are currently characterizing the flow within the test section by installing pitot static probes and pressure transducers.