Wind Lab

Tunnel Description
The wind tunnel under description has been constructed with financial support from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India under their sponsored research programme. Figure 1. Gives the plan and elevation of this tunnel, which is followed by its salient features. The design was carried out after studying a number of designs for industrial wind tunnels that already exist in other countries. With appropriate roughing of the approach terrain and the use of vortex generators, it is possible to develop a boundary layer with a thickness of approximately 1m at the test section. It is also possible to create mean wind velocity profiles and turbulence intensities consistent with different terrain conditions obtained in the field. Typical profile for the wind velocity and the turbulence intensity obtained in the tunnel using three different variations in the approach terrain.
It is possible to test rigid as well as Aero-elastic models of various kinds of structures in this tunnel and to measure, with the help of instrumentation available, parameters of interests such as:
• Velocity Profile
• Turbulence Characteristics
• Pressures
• Force Reactions & Moments
• Displacements
• Accelerations
Salient Features

Total Length of wind tunnel	38 m
Length of Test Section	15 m
Length of Diffuser	16 m
Test Section Cross Section	2m x 1.85m (Upstream end ), 2.10m x 2.15m (Downstream end )
Turn Table Diameter	1.8 m
Contraction Ration of Effuser	9.5 : 1
Maximum Wind Speed	16 m/s
Boundary Layer Thickness	1 m
Capacity of Blower (Fan)	75 m³/s
Power of Motor	125 H.P.
Speed of Motor	1440 rpm

Types of Study
Under the sponsorship of the Indian National Science Academy and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, a sustained programme of research in Wind engineering has been pursued in the Department of Civil Engineering for almost a decade. A number of other programmes have also been pursued such as participation in the international Aylsebury Collaborative Experiment of the International Association of Wind Engineering which consists of testing the model of a building (on which measurement have been made it site) in various wind tunnels in the world, with the idea of comparing the field data with the model results obtained in different wind tunnels.
The facility created can tackle a large majority of wind tunnel testing problems such as Studies on:
• Chimney & Latticed Towers
• Cooling Towers
• Low or High Buildings
• Antenna Dishes
• Cylindrical & Hyper Shell Roofs
• Pollutant Dispersion