Making a Wind Tunnel for Education - Engineering Project

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A mechanical engineering student is tasked with creating an educational wind tunnel to visualize concepts like streamlines, lift, and drag. The student plans to use transparent fiberglass for the casing and a fan for airflow but seeks advice on how to visualize streamlines. Suggestions include using a smoke generator, such as an incense stick, or attaching tiny streamers or flags to the object being analyzed. These streamers, made from lightweight materials, can effectively demonstrate airflow patterns by moving with the airstream. The discussion emphasizes practical methods for visualizing fluid dynamics in an educational setting.
R Power
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Hi friends
I am a mechaincal engg. student and I asked yesterday my professor of fluid mechanics that there should be a educational wind tunnel in our laboratory to understand concepts of streamlines, lift and drag better and visually. He replied me with a challenge that I should make such a thing which even can be one of my projects.
Now I can make the casing covering of transparent glass fibre, setup to hold the shape to be analysed and can attach a fan for wind and everything else but the main problem is of streamlines. How can I show them? I mean what to mix with air to show streamlines. How to show them? Can anyone help please? I have to make that thing!
Thanx in advance very much! :)
 
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You'll want a smoke generator of some sort, such as an incense stick.
 
Another way is to attach tiny streamers or flags to the object in the tunnel.
 
Another way is to attach tiny streamers or flags to the object in the tunnel
what are tiny streamers or flags. can you explain a bit more?
 
Little strips of light-weight and flexible cloth or paper or string (wool yarn is good).

They string out in the tunnel airstream like a windsock in the breeze at an airfield or a flag at the back of a ship.

A little experimentation with the fixing method
 
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