Flow Characteristics in a Multifan Wind Tunnel

Study into the aerodynamics of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) requires simulation of atmospheric flows in laboratory conditions taking into account wind gust. Traditional wind tunnels do not generate flows similar to the real atmosphere, which is characterized by significant spatial nonuniformity and unsteadiness of flow. This paper considers a multifan wind tunnel developed at Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences) as a promising tool for simulation of the atmospheric turbulence. The main measurements were made by hot-wire anemometer and PIV. Data on turbulence and nonuniformity generated by a multifan wind tunnel (MfWT) have been obtained. The effect of the flow quality on the aerodynamic characteristics of the UAV was analyzed. The cross-sectional area of the test section of the wind tunnel is approximately 0.7 m2 and the maximum velocity of the flow is 10 m/s.