Experiment #2: WIND TUNNEL CALIBRATION

AE 460: Aerodynamics & Propulsion Laboratory

Talbot Lab Room 18A (Basement)
Department of Aerospace Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9/3 – 9/9 Groups A and B conduct Laboratory 2: 18A Talbot Laboratory

Group A conducts Laboratory 2 during the first hour of Lab
Group B conducts Laboratory 2 during the second hour of Lab
Groups A and B turn in LabVIEW tutorial assignments (Lab 1) at the start of your
laboratory period. Each student must also turn in his/her General Laboratory Safety
Training certificate before Lab 2 may be started.

SAFETY
1. Eye protection should be worn at all times while the wind tunnel is being used. The fan can be
very noisy, and dust is easily picked up by the strong airflow, especially at high tunnel speeds.
Ear protection will also be provided for the lab.
2. For the same reason, make sure that there are no loose papers on tables or chairs.
3. Wait for the Teaching Assistant to turn on the wind-tunnel main power before beginning the
experiment.
4. Stay out of the path of the entrance and exit of the tunnel.

1. OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this experiment is to become familiar with the operation of a low-speed wind
tunnel and several pressure-measurement devices. Pressure measurements will be obtained from
wall static pressure taps to determine the differential pressure at the tunnel inlet with respect to
atmospheric pressure. Additional pressure measurements will be acquired from a rake of pressure
probes that will be used to calculate the average dynamic pressure and speed in the test section.
Finally, the input motor RPM for the tunnel fan and the measured differential pressure at the inlet
will be used to determine the average test-section dynamic pressure.

2. BACKGROUND
Low-speed wind tunnels are used extensively in aeronautical research and are extremely
important tools. Engineers often use them in the design process to save time and money. The
automobile industry performs a great deal of wind tunnel testing. Automobile manufacturers
worldwide own or have regular access to a wind-tunnel facility in order to perform model or full-
scale tests. Studies are performed to obtain aerodynamic parameters that affect vehicle
performance, handling, engine and brake cooling, noise, etc. Climatic wind tunnels are used to
heat and cool the air stream in order to evaluate drive systems, air conditioning, and seals around
doors and windows.
Wind tunnels are also used to design aircraft, trains, and recreational vehicles and equipment.
Cyclists and skiers actually enter the wind tunnel in order to find the optimum position for reduced
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drag or the best lift-to-drag ratio. Substantial improvements in equipment and clothing have
resulted from such tests.
Wind tunnel tests have also been performed to investigate the effects of atmospheric winds on
bridges, radar antennas, and satellite TV receivers. Estimated forces and moments are required to
make equipment structurally sound. The air flows around skyscrapers in scale-model cities have
also been examined.
Specialized wind tunnels also exist. One example is an icing wind tunnel in which icing clouds
can be formed to study the effects of ice accretion on aircraft. Aeroacoustic tunnels allow the
study of flow-generated noise in low-noise facilities. Environmental tunnels are used to
investigate building ventilation, flow-induced structural vibrations, snow drifting, soil erosion, and
pollution dispersion.
An extensive and detailed history of the wind tunnels at NASA is located at the following link:
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-440/contents.htm .

2.1. Types of Wind Tunnels

Low-speed wind tunnels come in all shapes and sizes and are of two basic types. The first,
called an open-circuit tunnel, has no guided return for the air stream. The air follows an essentially
straight path from the entrance to the exhaust. The second type, called a closed-circuit tunnel, has
a continuous path for the air. The air re-circulates continuously with little or no exchange of air
with the exterior. Open-return tunnels tend to be less expensive and are easily used for flow
visualization since materials such as smoke or oil are exited from the tunnel. Closed tunnels are
more costly; however, they are less noisy and usually have better-controlled flow quality.
Tunnels with test-section airspeeds below 400 mph are typically considered low-speed wind
tunnels. Those exceeding 400 mph are called high-speed tunnels, and those that produce velocities
greater than the speed of sound are called supersonic tunnels. A wind tunnel consists of an
enclosed portion through which the air is driven by a fan or any appropriate drive system. The test
section, where a model is supported in a controlled air stream, produces airflow around the model
being studied.

2.2. Airspeed Determination

While performing experiments in the wind tunnel, it is often critical to know the true airspeed
in the tunnel test section. The test-section airspeed can be determined by measurements of the
total and static pressure. According to Bernoulli’s equation for steady, inviscid, incompressible
flow in which body forces are neglected,

ps = po – ½ ρ V2 = po – q (1)

where ps = static pressure [lbf/ft2; N/m2],

po = total pressure [lbf/ft2; N/m2],
ρ = density of air [slug/ft3; kg/m3],
V = test-section airspeed [ft/s; m/s],
q = ½ ρ V2 = dynamic pressure [lbf/ft2; N/m2]
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Therefore, in addition to the total and static pressures, the density is also required in order to
determine the airspeed. The density can be calculated from the ideal gas equation of state, i.e.,

p=ρRT (2)

where p = ambient air pressure [lbf/ft2; N/m2]

ρ = density [slug/ft3; kg/m3]
R = gas constant of air = 1716 ft-lbf/slug/°R; 287 N-m/kg/K
T = ambient air temperature [°R; K]

The total and static pressures used to calculate the test-section airspeed could be measured
from a Pitot-static probe. For an open return wind tunnel with the inlet open to the atmosphere,
static pressure taps could be used as long as it is also assumed that the total pressure is equal to the
ambient atmospheric pressure (although in practice a small calibrated correction is used). These
static pressure taps are used to set and monitor the wind tunnel speed (or dynamic pressure) and
are usually located between the converging section and test-section entrance. To average out the
slight differences that may exist across all four walls, the static pressure taps are usually combined
together. There are two corrections that generally need to be made: first, there are pressure losses
from the entrance through the flow conditioning section, and second, the resulting value is only
valid at the test section entrance. On the other hand, if an array of several probes is used to measure
the total and static pressures over a larger area in the test section, the differential pressure at the
test section inlet can be calibrated to determine the average test-section speed.

3. LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
The primary pieces of equipment and instrumentation used in the Wind Tunnel Calibration
experiment are listed below.

Aerolab low-speed wind tunnel

Tunnel fan frequency control
Static pressure ring
Rake of pressure probes
Dwyer inclined manometer
Omega PX653 Pressure Transmitter
Pressure Systems Incorporated (PSI) NetScanner pressure system
Model 4195 Compact Digital Barometer

3.1. The Aerolab Low-Speed Wind Tunnel

The wind tunnel is located in Room 18A of Talbot Laboratory. It is an Eiffel-type, open-return
tunnel. Air is drawn into the elliptical inlet, through a honeycomb and screen section, and is
accelerated through the contraction into the test section. The wind tunnel air decelerates through
the diffuser section and into the fan. The air is discharged into the atmosphere. A sketch of the
tunnel is shown in Figure 1.
The wind tunnel is made up of the following components:
1. Bellmouth and Flow Conditioning Section: The air from the room enters the bellmouth
and is delivered to the flow conditioning section. A precision aluminum honeycomb and
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three graduated, high porosity screens, mounted and tensioned in extruded aluminum
frames, provide the flow conditioning.
2. Contraction Section: The air accelerates in the contraction section to the test-section
speed. This acceleration also reduces the relative intensity of turbulent eddies. The
contraction has a 9.5:1 area ratio, with a symmetrical cross section and analytically
developed wall contours.
3. Test Section: This is the location of the highest flow velocity and is where the testing is
done. The interior dimensions of the test section are: length, 24”; width, 12”; height, 12”.
4. Diffuser: The diffuser allows the test-section flow to decelerate without flow separation
from the walls. A wire mesh safety grid is provided at the downstream end of the primary
diffuser.
5. Fan and Drive Motor: An axial flow fan assembly is used. The fan is direct driven by a
10 HP, variable speed, AC induction motor. A variable frequency drive regulates the RPM
of the motor which is set by a frequency input. A speed control station, located at the
upstream end of the diffuser, regulates the test-section velocity by varying the frequency
of the AC power supplied to the motor. The inverter is set by either a keypad, shown in
Figure 2, or RS-232 serial input from a computer.

3.2. Static Pressure Ring

The static pressure ring (Figure 3) is a copper tube manifold that connects four static pressure
taps (one orifice on each wall). By grouping the static pressure taps in this manner, the pressure
will represent the average static pressure at all four walls. The static pressure ring is located
downstream of the contraction section and just upstream of the test section. The static pressure
ring is used to monitor the wind tunnel dynamic pressure (or speed) when running an experiment
by assuming the stagnation pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure. Because there are losses
at the entrance to the contraction, mostly due to the honeycomb flow straightener and turbulence-
reducing screens in the flow conditioning section, a calibration factor needs to be applied to this
measured pressure difference (Patm – Pstatic,ring), so the actual dynamic pressure in the test section
can be calculated. Note also that the static pressure ring is used as a reference pressure for all the
probes on the pressure rake.

3.3. Rake of 13 Pressure Probes

The rake is used to measure pressures at various locations in the test section. A sketch of the
rake is shown in Figure 4. The rake consists of four arms and a center probe. Each arm has two
total pressure probes, one on each end of the arm, and one static pressure probe in the middle of
the arm. All probes are spaced 1.5 inches apart. The center probe is a Pitot-static probe, which
measures both total (center orifice) and static (circumference orifices on the tube) pressure. The
rake can be moved within the test section, but always remains on the lateral centerline. All of the
pressures measured from the static, total, and pitot-static probes on the pressure rake are measured
relative to the static pressure ring (Pstatic,ring) of the tunnel.

3.4. Dwyer Inclined Manometer

The Dwyer Model 246 inclined manometer is used to measure a single pressure or difference
between two pressures. In this experiment, the manometer is set up to measure the difference
between the atmospheric pressure and static pressure from the static pressure ring on the tunnel
(Patm – Pstatic,ring), which we will term the measured differential pressure, ΔPmeasured, in the
discussions that follow. This is done by having one side of the manometer open to the atmosphere
and the other side attached to the static pressure ring. The manometer has a pressure range of 0 –
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6” W.C. and an accuracy of 1% of the full-scale measurement. Figure 5 shows the inclined
manometer. http://www.dwyer-inst.com/

3.5. Omega PX653 Pressure Transmitter

The Omega PX653 Pressure Transmitter (same as a pressure transducer, but sometimes termed
a transmitter due to the amplified output) is also used to measure the difference between the
atmospheric pressure and static pressure from the static pressure ring on the tunnel. This is done
in a similar way as the Dwyer inclined manometer; one side of the transducer if left open to the
atmosphere and the other side is attached to the static pressure ring. The pressure range is 0 to
±10” W.C. The measurement uncertainty is ±0.25% of the full-scale. The pressure transmitter
output is automatically zeroed when the transducers are "tared" in LabVIEW. There may still be
some residual output at zero velocity, which you will record and should be subtracted from all
measurements acquired at speed. The pre-calibrated pressure transmitter is displayed in LabVIEW
and will be recorded in the data file and manually. This will be termed the Omega differential
pressure, ΔPΩ, in the discussions that follow. It is displayed in the LabVIEW control panel in real-
time using the Omega Trans. ∆P [dpsi] bar graph numeric display and in the Omega Transmitter
∆P [dpsi] numerical indicator in the Last Data Point Recorded group for the value saved
(recorded) in the output file. Figure 2 shows the Omega PX653 Pressure Transmitter.
http://www.Omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=PX653
The voltage from the pressure transmitter is collected and digitized on a personal computer
using a National Instruments USB-9215 DAQ board. The multifunction DAQ device used in this
experiment allows the user to utilize four differential (± 10 VDC) analog input channels with 16-
bit resolution and a multi-channel sampling rate of 100 kS/s (kilo-samples per second). The DAQ
board is configured and controlled using LabVIEW-based programs. It should be noted that the
readout noise is an insignificant source of uncertainty for this lab.

3.6. PSI NetScanner Pressure System

The pressure measurement system consists of two NetScanner model 9016 pressure transducer
modules. Each of these modules has integral pressure transducers and a pneumatic calibration
manifold. The 1-psid module can measure maximum differential pressures of 1.0 psid,
respectively, with an accuracy of 0.1% of the full-scale value. A differential pressure measurement
is the pressure difference between two sources. The module consists of 16 ports and a reference
port. The pressure differences between each of the 16 ports and the reference pressure produce 16
differential pressures.
For the current experiment, the static pressure line from the static pressure ring is connected to
the reference port on the 1-psid module. Therefore, all pressure measurements on the PSI
Netscanner system are made relative to this value. The tubes from the rake are connected to ports
#3 – #16 on the module. Pressure data are acquired by the NetScanner system and are transferred
to the attached computer by the LabVIEW code. The NetScanner system occasionally needs to be
re-zeroed or "tared". This is also accomplished through the code and is performed during the
experiment. Once this occurs, the zero values are automatically saved and all pressures utilize
these zero values. The NetScanner system is shown in Figure 6.
https://usermanual.wiki/Pressure-
Systems/PressureSystems9022UsersManual520409.128651648.pdf
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3.7. Compact Digital Manometer

The compact digital manometer (Model 4195) made by Control Company is NIST traceable
and is used to measure the atmospheric pressure and temperature in the laboratory. The barometer
has an accuracy of ± 0.148 in Hg, and the temperature is measured with an accuracy of ± 1.8 ̊F. It
can display either English or SI units.

4. PROCEDURE
Please follow each of the outlined steps closely. Words denoted by square brackets (e.g.,
[Start]) indicate physical buttons on the frequency control keypad, computer keyboard, or radio
buttons on the computer screen. Radio buttons are activated by pressing the left mouse button
while the cursor is placed over the button.

4.1. Familiarization with Equipment

1. Turn on the Omega pressure transducer, PSI NetScanner, and computer. The teaching
assistant will log onto the system, and there is a folder with your section and group name
on the desktop for you to store your data in.
2. Locate the static pressure ring in the test section and notice how it is mounted.
3. Locate the rake and make sure it is centered vertically in the test section.
4. Locate the Dwyer manometer and note how it is connected to the static pressure ring.
5. Locate the PSI NetScanner system. Note how the static pressure ring and rake probes are
connected to the Omega pressure transducer and the PSI system modules, respectively.
Make sure that all of the tubes are unobstructed and are not crimped.
6. Locate the computer and note how the PSI system is connected to it.
7. Locate the tunnel frequency controller keypad (Figure 2) and make sure the system is in
local mode. This is shown in the upper left hand corner of the screen by the LOC
abbreviation. If it does not show LOC, simply press the [LOC/REM] button on the
controller. This allows local or manual control of the frequency, rather than remote control
by the computer. The [START] button starts the motor. The up and down arrows on the
controller allow the angular speed (RPM) of the motor to be adjusted. The set point for the
motor speed is shown in RPM in the upper right hand corner of the display. The rest of the
display will show the frequency input to the motor, as well as the amperage that it is
drawing from the controller. The [STOP] button will stop the motor, but the last RPM
setting will still be saved for the next start-up. Therefore, make sure to always reduce the
frequency to 0.0 before stopping the tunnel (unless there is an emergency), so that the
tunnel does not unexpectedly ramp up to a high velocity when the [START] button is
pressed.

4.2. Data Acquisition

1. Before you begin, ensure that all the students have their eye protection on. As the tunnel
speed is increased, the room will become very noisy and the airflow is strong. Ear
protection is available if you find that the wind tunnel is too noisy for you.
2. Press the down arrow [⇓] on the tunnel frequency control pad until the display shows zero
RPM in the upper right corner of the display. Ensure that the tunnel is not running so that
you can tare (zero) the pressure transducers.
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3. Run the [AE 460 Wind Tunnel Calibration] shortcut from the computer desktop by
double-clicking on the icon. This is a link to the LabVIEW program, which reads and
records the pressure transducers. A screen shot of the front panel is illustrated in Fig. 7.
4. The program should be running when it is started.
5. With the tunnel off, left click the [Tare all Transducers] button (upper left corner of the
program). This re-zeroes the output of all the transducers in the PSI NetScanner system
and the Omega Pressure transmitter.
6. Under the Input Values block, you will be entering atmospheric data for the runs for the
day of the test and for each run setting. Read and record the barometric pressure and the
atmospheric temperature. Enter the atmospheric values, in inches Hg and degrees
Fahrenheit, on your data sheet and type the values into the computer interface (left click
the box and type in the appropriate value) in the boxes labeled Ambient Pressure [”Hg]
and Ambient Temperature [F], respectively.
7. After verifying that the tunnel is off, read and record the residual zero-velocity value of the
differential pressure (if there is any) from the Omega pressure transducer on your data sheet
which is read out on the LabVIEW Program using the Omega Trans. ∆P [dpsi] bar graph
numeric display. If the value is not zero, do not forget to take into account this offset
(subtracting it) in your calculations which use the Omega transducer. Verify that the
manometer reading is zero. If necessary, re-zero the manometer scale by loosening the
thumb screws under the scale and sliding it up or down.
8. Press the [START] button on the frequency control pad.
9. Adjust the tunnel speed input frequency with the up [⇑] and down [⇓] arrow buttons on the
keypad. Set the motor speed to 400 RPM and record the value on the datasheet and type
the value on the computer interface in the box labeled Motor Speed [RPM].
10. Once the tunnel speed has stabilized, read and record the differential pressure from the
Dwyer manometer onto the datasheet. Also record the Dwyer manometer value onto the
computer interface in the box labeled Dwyer Manometer ΔP [“Water]. Note that the
Dwyer manometer takes a few minutes to stabilize to a constant value. You can monitor
the stabilization of the Netscanner PSI pressure transducers in the Real Time Data from
Pressure Probe Rake data block.
11. Once the manometer has stabilized, also press the [Record Data Point] button on the
computer display. This records data from the computer program from the values entered,
Omega pressure transducer, and PSI NetScanner pressure transducers at the current
conditions. Additionally, the plots of the average dynamic pressure and velocity (also
termed the actual dynamic pressure and actual velocity) data from the pressure rake and
differential pressure from the Dwyer Manometer value (also termed the measured pressure
difference) are updated.
12. Record the values of the differential pressure from the Omega transmitter (Omega
Transmitter ∆P [dpsi]), average dynamic pressure (Average Rake q [dpsi]) and average
velocity (Average Rake Velocity [ft/s]) onto your data sheet, which are displayed under
the Last Data Point Recorded block on the program beside the graphs. The rake-derived
values are the dynamic pressure and velocity calculated by averaging all the total and static
pressures from the pressure probe rake. If a large difference exists (although some
difference is expected) between the differential pressure from the Dwyer manometer and
average dynamic pressure from the pressure rake, you may not have waited long enough
for the system to stabilize, and so you can delete the data point record by pressing the
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[Erase Previous Data Point] button and record a new data point for this condition by
pressing the [Record Data Point] button.
13. Repeat steps 9 – 12. Vary the input motor speed in increments of 100 RPM over the range
400 RPM – 1400 RPM.
14. After the last point is recorded, press the [Save All Data] button, which will bring up a
dialog panel and allow you to save your data file. You should save the file to your
subdirectory on the Windows Desktop. It is suggest that you use a file name with a .csv
suffix which will help programs recognize that the ASCII text file has comma separated
variables. Press the [Stop] button to close the program.
15. Shut down the tunnel by reducing the input motor speed to zero with the down arrow [⇓]
on the wind tunnel keypad and pressing the [STOP] button. Retrieve your data and store
it on a thumb-drive.

4.3. Output Data File Format

The lab data are output to the file in groups. There is a group of data for each frequency given
by row. The columns of data in the file are organized as follows (shown transposed here):

Data Point #:
Motor Speed [RPM]:
Manometer delta P [dpsi]:
Ambient Temp. [ºR]:
Viscosity [slug/ft s]:
Ambient Press. [psia]:
Omega Transmitter delta P [dpsi]:
RakeT1 [psid]:
RakeT2 [psid]:
RakeT3 [psid]:
RakeT4 [psid]:
RakeT5 [psid]:
RakeT6 [psid]:
RakeT7 [psid]:
RakeT8 [psid]:
RakeT9 [psid]:
RakeS1 [psid]:
RakeS2 [psid]:
RakeS3 [psid]:
RakeS4 [psid]:
RakeS5 [psid]:
Note that “Manometer delta P” is the Dwyer manometer differential pressure measurement
(ΔPmeasured) from atmospheric pressure to the static pressure ring on the tunnel. Although these
values were recorded in inches of water, the program converts and outputs the values in psi. The
pressures from the rake are differential pressures. They are the differences between the measured
pressures and the reference pressure (static pressure from the static pressure ring mounted to the
tunnel) where T# (T1, T2, etc.) refers to the total pressure from the pitot (or total) probes on the
rake and S# (S1, S2, etc.) refers to the static pressure rake probes as shown in Figure 4.
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5. DATA PROCESSING
Using the data obtained during the experiment, perform the following calculations and answer
the corresponding questions.

1. Create a table with five columns; the data point number, Motor RPM, average total pressure
(P0avg) from all the rake total pressure probes (T1 to T9), average static pressure (PSavg) from all
the rake static pressure probes (S1 to S5), and the average dynamic pressure (qactual) calculated
from the pressure rake (i.e. qactual = P0avg - PSavg). You should carry out this calculation yourself
from the electronic data file using the values written down during lab as only a check. We term
this the actual dynamic pressure since it represents the average dynamic pressure over all of the
probes that is actually in the test section for a given condition. Keep all pressures in psi and
comment on any trends you observe in the table.

2. In future labs we may want to know approximately what the motor speed (RPM) setting should
be to give us a desired property in the wind tunnel test section. Therefore, make a table with
six columns: the data point number, Motor RPM, actual dynamic pressure (qactual) in psi
calculated in question 1, actual velocity in the test section (Vactual) in ft/s, Reynolds number per
unit length in units of 1/ft (i.e., the Reynolds number with no length scale; Re/L), and Mach
number. The last three properties should be calculated based on the actual dynamic pressure in
the tunnel. Based on this table, make separate graphs (four total) for the actual dynamic
pressure, actual velocity in the test section, Reynolds number per unit length, and Mach number
on the y-axis versus Motor speed (RPM) on the x-axis for all four graphs. Comment on any
trends or characteristics you observe in the above table or graphs. In using these graphs when
testing future models in the wind tunnel, comment on why they only give the approximate
property that will be attained for a given Motor speed setting.

3. Now we would like to investigate the variation of the total and dynamic pressures across the
wind tunnel test section.
a. In order to compare the variation in the total pressure from the different probes on the rake,
calculate the percent difference of each total pressure from the average total pressure, with
the difference normalized by the average dynamic pressure. This total pressure variation
(TPV) is given for each pressure probe as

TPVi [%] = 100% * (P0i - P0avg) / qactual (3)

where P0i is the total pressure of the ith total probe on the rake (i.e., T1 to T9) and TPVi is
the total pressure variation for the ith total pressure probe.

Make a single scatter plot (no lines connecting the points) of TPVi on the y-axis and the
actual dynamic pressure (qactual) on the x-axis with all of the probes on one graph. Therefore,
you must use a legend with each marker type (point style) representing a different total
pressure probe.
b. In order to compare the variation in the static pressure from the different probe locations,
calculate the percent difference of each static pressure from the average static pressure with
the difference normalized by the average dynamic pressure. This static pressure variation
(SPVi) for each static pressure probe is given by
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SPVi [%] = 100% * (PSi - PSavg) / qactual (4)

where PSi is the static pressure of the ith static probe on the rake (i.e., S1 to S5) and SPVi is
the static pressure variation for the ith static pressure tap.

Make a single scatter plot (no lines connecting the points) of SPVi on the y-axis and the
actual dynamic pressure (qactual) on the x-axis with all of the probes on one graph. You must
use a legend with each marker type (point style) representing a different static pressure
probe.

c. Comment on the variation of the static and total pressure depending on their location inside
the test section including their relative levels, trends as the dynamic pressure is increased,
and whether the variation in total or static pressure appears to be more significant and why
this might be the case.

4. Aside from the slight pressure losses through the converging section, the pressure measured
using the manometer and the pressure measured using the Omega transducer should be
approximately equal to the actual dynamic pressure in the test section of the tunnel. In order to
investigate this approximation, make a table with seven columns: the data point number, motor
speed (RPM), actual dynamic pressure (qactual), pressure from the Omega pressure transducer
(Omega Pressure Transmitter delta P [dpsi] also termed ΔPΩ), percent difference between the
actual dynamic pressure and the Omega pressure, pressure calculated from the Dwyer
manometer (Manometer delta P also termed ΔPmeasured), and percent difference between the
actual dynamic pressure and the Dwyer manometer differential pressure. Comment on the
comparison of the pressure measured with the various methods and why differences may exist.

5. Now we wish to calibrate the measured differential pressure at the static pressure ring with the
dynamic pressure that is actually in the test section. Therefore, make a graph of the average
test-section dynamic pressure (qactual) on the y-axis as a function of the pressure difference
measured by the Omega pressure transducer (Omega Pressure Transmitter delta P [dpsi] also
termed ΔPΩ) on the x-axis. Use a linear curve fit and display the equation on the graph. This
provides a calibration coefficient between the Omega pressure transducer differential pressure
(ΔPΩ) at the static pressure ring located at the test-section entrance (which we will generally
use to set the tunnel conditions in future tests) and the actual dynamic pressure (average
dynamic pressure from the rake) that exists in the central portion of the test section. The
calibration coefficient will be used in future experiments. Report the calibration coefficient,
and comment on any trends you observe, its accuracy, why the difference exists between qactual
and ΔPΩ, and if the trend is going in a direction that you would expect.

6. Conducting a detailed uncertainty analysis for an experiment is one of the most important
aspects of data reporting, and doing it correctly is a skill that will aid you in the future.
Although in general you would conduct an uncertainty analysis for all of the measurements
you take and calculate, due to the limited time for this laboratory exercise, we will only
calculate the uncertainty for the actual velocity (Vactual) calculated from the actual dynamic
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pressure (qactual) in Question 2. The uncertainty in the actual velocity can be determined by
the following equation:
2 2 2
 ∂V   ∂V   ∂V 
U Vactual =  U po  +  U ps  +  U ρ  (5)
 ∂p o   ∂p s   ∂ρ 

where U represents the uncertainty in the given parameter, and the partial derivatives are
calculated with the velocity equation used (i.e., Bernoulli’s equation) with respect to each
independent variable. Two items should be noted about this equation. First, since the density
is not measured directly (i.e., there is not a density gauge that is used with a quoted
uncertainty), but is a calculated quantity, the uncertainty in the density must be determined
from the equation used to calculate it (i.e., the ideal gas law). The uncertainty is therefore
given by
2 2 2
 ∂ρ   ∂ρ   ∂ρ 
U ρ =  U pamb  +  U R  +  U Tamb 
 ∂p amb   ∂R   ∂Tamb  (6)

where uncertainties of the ambient pressure and temperature measurements are ±0.148”Hg and
±1.8°F, respectively. Note we will consider that there is no uncertainty in the gas constant.
The second item to note about calculating the actual velocity uncertainty is that it is calculated
from averaged values of total and static pressures. Therefore, the uncertainties in the total and
static pressures depend on the number of measurements that were averaged together according
to the following equation:

Up = (1 n U ) + (1 n U ) + (1 n U ) + ... + (1 n U )
p1
2
p2
2
p3
2
pn
2

(7)

where n values of pressures are averaged. The uncertainty corresponding to the pressures
measured with the PSI system are ±0.1% of the full-scale measurement (1 psi).
In your report you should calculate and comment on the uncertainty in density and actual
velocity for the range of velocities tested. Make a table giving columns of Motor Speed (RPM),
actual velocity, actual velocity uncertainty, and percent uncertainty. Comment on any trends
in the uncertainty that you observe, particularly how it changes as the velocity changes. Also
comment on what the data show is the source of the highest level of uncertainty and how this
level might be reduced.
In the example calculation section of the appendix of your lab report, show the derivation
and calculation of the actual velocity uncertainty. Demonstrate the calculation with values
(including the uncertainty in density) for a motor speed of 1000 RPM. Remember to show all
necessary example calculations from all of the questions and to provide a copy of the hand-
written data sheet that is taken during the lab in the raw data section of the appendix.

REFERENCES

1. Basic Educational Wind Tunnel Operations Manual, Aerolab, June 2009.

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Contraction section Fan/

Motor
Test section Diffuser

Figure 1. Schematic of Aerolab low-speed wind tunnel. [1]

Figure 2. Frequency control keypad to regulate tunnel speed and Omega pressure transmitter to
measure the incoming dynamic pressure.
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Figure 3. Static pressure ring for monitoring tunnel dynamic pressure.

T4

Figure 4. Schematic of rake with pressure probes defined.

 14

Figure 5. Dwyer Model 246 inclined manometer.

Figure 6. PSI NetScanner pressure system.

 15

Figure 7. Front panel of LabVIEW control program.

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Data Table for Wind Tunnel Calibration Experiment

Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Section/Group: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

Ambient conditions:
Pressure ("Hg): ____________________

Temperature (°F): __________________

Residual zero-velocity ΔPΩ offset from the Omega transmitter: _______________ (dpsi)

Motor ΔP Measured ΔPΩ

Data Average Rake Average Rake
Speed Dwyer Omega trans.
Point q (dpsi) Velocity (ft/s)
(RPM) ("W.C.) (dpsi)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16