This thesis describes the development and assessment of an undergraduate wind tunnel test engineering course utilizing the 7ft by 10ft Oran W. Nicks Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT). Only 5 other universities in the United States have a wind tunnel of similar size and none have an undergraduate wind tunnel test engineering course built around it. Many universities use smaller wind tunnels for laboratory instruction, but these experiments are meant to only demonstrate basic concepts. Students go beyond conceptual learning in this wind tunnel test engineering course and conduct real-world experiments in the LSWT. This course puts knowledge into practice and further prepares students whether continuing on to graduate school or industry. Course content mainly originates from the chapters in Low Speed Wind Tunnel Testing by Barlow, Rae, and Pope. This is the most comprehensive book that addresses the specific requirements of large scale, low speed wind tunnel testing. It is not a textbook for novices. The three experiments used in the course are modeled on actual experiments that were performed at the LSWT. They are exactly what a commercial entity would want performed although the time scale is drastically reduced because of class requirements. Students complete the course with a working knowledge of the requirements of large scale, low speed wind tunnel tests because they have successfully performed real-world tests and have performed data reduction that is needed for high-quality industrial tests.

This study was performed to investigate aerodynamic characteristics of the 37.5% scaled­ down Green Raven MK18 airframe, to evaluate boundary corrections method, and to investigate on support interference. A wind tunnel test was originally planned on June 2021 at a Large­Low­Speed Wind Tunnel at University of Bristol; however, due to COVID­19 travel restrictions, the test has been postponed to November 2021. In or­der to supplement the work and data directly required for the test, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigations were performed in free air and in wind tunnel condi­tions, both with and without support interference, at a Reynolds number of 7E+05. The simulations utilized an incompressible Reynolds-­Averaged­-Navier.­Stokes equa­tion accompanied with k − ω SST for turbulent modelling. Corrections factors were obtained to compensate for wall interference, and results indicate a satisfactory agree­ment between free ­air and wind­ tunnel corrected data for wall interference. The sup­ port structure interferes with the aerodynamic loads produced by the model. Lift and drag decrease, and pitching moment increases compared to WT without support structure condition. / Denna studie utfördes för att undersöka aerodynamiska egenskaper hos det nedskalade Green Raven MK18­flygplanet för 37.5%, för att utvärdera gränskorrigeringsmetoden och för att undersöka stödinterferens. Ett vindtunneltest planerades ursprungligen i juni 2021 vid en stor­låghastighets vindtunnel vid University of Bristol. Men på grund av resebegränsningar för covid­19 har testet skjutits upp till november 2021. För att komplettera det arbete och de data som direkt krävs för testet, utfördes CFD under­ sökningar (Computational Fluid Dynamics) i fri luft och i vindtunnelförhållanden, både med och utan supportinterferens, med ett Reynolds­tal på 7E+05. Simuleringarna använde en inkompressibel Reynolds­Averaged­Navier­Stokes­ekvation tillsammans med k − ω SST för turbulent modellering. Korrigeringsfaktorer erhölls för att kom­ pensera för väggstörningar, och resultaten tyder på en tillfredsställande överensstäm­ melse mellan frilufts­ och vindtunnelkorrigerade data för väggstörningar. Stödstruk­ turen stör de aerodynamiska belastningar som modellen producerar. Lyft och drag minskar och stigningsmomentet ökar jämfört med WT utan stödstruktur.

In this thesis, techniques for testing aircraft models in ground effect in a low speed wind tunnel are investigated. Although these types of tests have been done before, the current study is unique in that forces are measured with an overhead balance instead of an internal balance. This has the advantage that the types of models that are difficult to mount on a sting with an internal balance, can often be mounted with a strut protruding from the top of the model. Positioning a sting-mounted model close to the ground at a high angle-of-attack is also usually difficult if not impossible. Finally, drag measurements are often more accurate when measured with an overhead balance rather than with an internal sting-type balance. The disadvantages associated with this method of testing are identified and solutions suggested. These include accurate moment transfers and correcting for support tares and interference. The thesis also investigates general procedures associated with ground effect testing such as proper boundary corrections and the necessity of a rolling floor. A simplified preliminary test series was performed in order to identify shortcomings in the existing equipment and procedures. This series is explained in Chapter 2. Chapter 4 and 5 describe changes made to the existing equipment following this test series. These include a novel telescopic fairing to shroud the mounting strut and an internal pitching mechanism. The correction techniques and general theory are summarised in Chapter 3. The author concludes in Chapter 6 that with the application of the techniques described in this thesis, the test engineer should be able to obtain accurate and reliable data from most aircraft configurations. Additional suggestions for testing models in ground effect are also given in this chapter. Finally, a few shortcomings that still need to be investigated are mentioned at the end of Chapter 6. AFRIKAANS : Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek tegnieke om vliegtuigmodelle in grondeffek in 'n laespoed-windtonnel te toets. Alhoewel hierdie tipe van toetse al voorheen gedoen is, is die huidige studie uniek deurdat 'n oorhoofse balans eerder as 'n interne balans gebruik word. Die voordeel hiervan is dat modelle wat moeilik op 'n naald- of "sting"-balans monteer kan word, baie keer makliker monteer kan word met 'n stang wat deur die bokant van die model steek. Posisioneering van 'n naald-gemonteerde model naby aan die vloer van die tonnel by hoe invalshoeke is gewoonlik ook baie moeilik indien nie onmoontlik nie. Laastens is sleurkrag-metings wat met 'n oorhoofse balans gemeet is gewoonlik meer akkuraat as sleurkrag-metings wat met 'n interne naald-tipe balans gedoen is. Die nadele wat met hierdie toetsmetode geassosieer kan word, word geïdentifiseer en moontlike oplossing word voorgestel. Hierdie sluit die berekening in van akkurate moment-transformasies en monteersleureffekte en -steurings. Die verhandeling ondersoek ook algemene prosedures wat met grondeffektoetse geassosieer kan word, byvoorbeeld akkurate wandkorreksies en die nodigheid van die rolvloer. 'n Vereenvoudigde vooraf-toetsreeks was uitgevoer om moontlike tekortkominge in die bestaande toerusting en prosedures te identifiseer. Hierdie toetsreeks word in Hoofstuk 2 bespreek. Hoofstuk 4 en 5 verduidelik die veranderinge wat aan die bestaande toerusting gemaak is na aanleidng van hierdie toetsreeks. Hierdie veranderinge sluit 'n teleskopiese windskerm in om die monteerstang te isoleer van die wind, sowel as 'n interne heimeganisme om die invalshoek van die model te verstel. Die korreksieprosedures en algemene teorie word in Hoofstuk 3 opgesom. Die outeur se gevolgtekking in Hoofstuk 6 stel dat die toetsingenieur, met behulp van die gebruik van die tegnieke in hierdie verhandeling beskryf, in staat behoort te wees om betroubare metings te kan neem van meeste vliegtuigkonfigurasies. Verdere voorstelle vir die toets van modelle in grondeffek word ook in hierdie hoofstuk gemaak. Uiteindelik word 'n paar tekortkominge genoem wat moontlik in 'n toekomstige studie ondersoek kan word. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 1999. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

It is well known that the layout of a large wind turbine cluster aects the energyoutput of the wind farm. The individual placement and distances betweenturbines will in uence the wake spreading and the wind velocity decit. Manyanalytical models and simulations have been made trying to calculate this, butstill there is a lack of experimental data to conrm the models. This thesis isdescribing the preparations and the execution of an experiment that has beenconducted using about 250 small rotating turbine models in a wind tunnel. Theturbine models were developed before the experiment and the characteristicswere investigated. The main focus was laid on special eects occurring in largewind turbine clusters, which were named Global Turbine Array Eects.It was shown that the upstream wind was little aected by a large windfarm downstream, even though there existed a small dierence in wind speedbetween the undisturbed free stream and the wind that arrived to the rstturbines in the wind farm. The dierence in wind speed was shown to beunder 1% of the undisturbed free stream. It was also shown that the densityof the wind farm was related to the reduced wind velocity, with a more densefarm the reduction could get up to 2.5% of the undisturbed free stream at theupstream center turbine. Less velocity decit was observed at the upstreamcorner turbines in the wind farm.When using small rotating turbine models some scaling requirements hadto be considered to make the experiment adaptable to reality. It was concludedthat the thrust coecient of the turbine models was the most important parameterwhen analysing the eects. One problem discussed was the low Reynoldsnumber, an eect always present in wind tunnel studies on small wind turbinemodels.A preliminary investigation of a photo measuring technique was also performed,but the technique was not fully developed. The idea was to take oneor a few photos instantaneously and then calculate the individual rotationalspeed of all the turbine models. It was dicult to apply the technique becauseof uctuations in rotational speed during the experiment, therefore thecalculated values could not represent the mean value over a longer time period.