Classification and application of wind tunnel experiment

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce the wind tunnel experiment in different aspects. This paper firstly presents the designs and classifications of wind tunnels. The wind tunnels will be classified as low-speed wind tunnels, aeroacoustic wind tunnels and subsonic wind tunnels. Under the classification of low-speed wind tunnels, there are open return wind tunnels and closed-circuit wind tunnels. The structural designs of topology optimization, topography of optimization, size optimization, free size optimization are introduced and compared. Traditional and modern measurements of the fluid are listed and given detailed examples. The applications of wind tunnel design in stress, dynamic and aeroelastic analysis, aerospace, cars and high-speed trains and environment and buildings will be introduced. The paper will analyze current challenges such like the reliability of wind tunnel data validating and calibrating numerical models, achieving sufficiently low turbulence intensity (TI) and background noise levels and similitude constraints when scaled models being tested. At last, the development trends in this field ‘ll be introduced and future outlook will be predicted.