Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

GAS DYNAMICS LAB

Course Code ME-429

Credit Hours 3+1

Lab Engineer.
ZARYAB LALL
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

LAB # 01
OBJECTIVE:-
• To study the Air Flow demonstration apparatus and
sensible inclined manometer installed on air flow
demonstration apparatus.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

WIND TUNNEL
A wind tunnel is generally sort of a duct or pipe shape and
air is either blown or pulled out of the tunnel.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

WAYS TO MEASURE AIR VELOCITY

AND PRESSURES IN WIND
TUNNELS:
• Air velocity.
o Bernoulli’s principle.
o Dye and smoke.
• Pressures.
o Beam balance.
o Pressure-sensitive paint.
o Inclined manometer.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

PARTS OF WIND TUNNEL

1. Nozzle (intake).

2. Blower.

3. Motor.

4. Drive section.

5. Pitot tube.

6. Orifice.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

WIND TUNNEL
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

▪ Settling Chamber (Intake)

The purpose of the settling chamber is to straighten the airflow.

▪ Drive Section (compressor)

The drive section provides the force that causes the air to move through the
wind tunnel.

▪ Contraction Cone
It takes a large volume of low-velocity air and reduces it to small volume of
high-velocity air without creating turbulence.

▪ Test Section.
The test section is where the test article and sensors are placed.

▪ Diffuser.
Slows the speed of airflow in the wind tunnel.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

Pitot Tube.
Pressure measurement instrument used to measure fluid flow velocity.
How ?
• By converting kinetic energy in a fluid flow to potential energy.

• Measuring static and dynamic pressure difference.

Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

Orifice.
Orifice plate is a device used for measuring the volumetric flow rate, for
reducing pressure or for restricting flow.
Works on same Bernoulli’s principle.

Diameter
Generally 0.5 times the diameter of the pipe.
Vary from 0.4 to 0.8.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

Manometer.
Pressure measuring instrument.
Inclined manometer is more sensitive than the simple manometer.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

Airfoil.
It is a test specimen on which pressure distribution
can be measured.

Shapes
• Symmetrical – No lift at zero angle of attack.

• Asymmetrical – lift created even at small angle of attack.

Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

Tachometer.
Installed on the panel for measuring speed of motor in
terms of RPM.

Wattmeter
The wattmeter is an instrument for measuring the electric
power in watts of any given circuit.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

Hygrometer.
Measures humidity of air.

Barometer.
Measures atmospheric pressure.
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College

CLASSIFICATION OF WIND TUNNEL.

There are many different kinds of wind tunnels.
• Subsonic wind tunnel. M < 0.8
• Low-speed wind tunnel. M = 0.4
• High-speed wind tunnel. 0.4 < M < 0.8
• Transonic wind tunnel. 0.8 <M<1.2
• Supersonic wind tunnel. 1.2 < M < 5.0
• Hypersonic wind tunnel. M > 5.0
Department of Mechanical Engineering Wah Engineering College