An Unsteady Flow Wind Tunnel

Abstract

SummaryA novel low-speed wind tunnel which produces unsteady “gust” flows is described. The walls are sinusoidal in shape and are moved in the flow direction with a velocity Wwless than the mean velocity Wmof the free stream. The tunnel is useful for testing isolated aerofoils and aerofoils in cascade in non-convective gusts (Ww< Wm) so that comparisons with predictions by thin aerofoil theory may be made. However, it does not simulate precisely the unsteady flow that occurs in axial flow turbomachines.