Understanding wind tunnel results

[Wrongfire]

Hello! I am new and recently figured out how to make wind tunnels in 3ds max and Maya.

Im helping to develop a sci-fi game and just out of curiosity took one of our spaceship models meant for space to planet travel into the wind tunnel to see if it would really be able fly, and if not, find out what changes I can make to make it aerodynamic.

So this isn't overly important, but I would like to discuss and learn about aerodynamics, now that I can visually experiment with it, I've gained an interest in learning as much as I can.
First off, I need to understand what good and bad results are when running wind tunnel tests.

Anyway, Here is the video with a few quick runs in wind tunnel.



Im curious if the ship is capable of lift, I am also wondering what to look for in these simulations to tell me if is or not.

 

[boneh3ad]

You haven't given nearly enough info on the ship to determine if it can create lift. Furthermore, the simulations look like they are just ordinary particle effects, which don't actually model fluids as well as they appear. You can't get any quantitative or even likely qualitative data from this. If you could, people wouldn't be making 6 figures to grid up and run CFD simulations.

 

[Wrongfire]

Ahh, was afraid of that. I looked around for a wind tunnel simulator but, and I guess that's why they make the big bucks, they aren't very public.

 

[boneh3ad]

They are public, just expensive. It is called computational fluid dynamics and it is very resource intensive for th big jobs. Depending on the level of detail required, it may even require a supercomputer.

 

[alphy]

Hi there! It's great to hear that you are using wind tunnels to test your spaceship model for your sci-fi game. Wind tunnels are an important tool for understanding aerodynamics and can provide valuable insights into how different designs and shapes perform in different environments.

To answer your question about good and bad results in wind tunnel tests, it's important to first understand the purpose of these tests. Wind tunnels are used to simulate the flow of air around an object, such as your spaceship model. The results of these tests can help you determine the aerodynamic properties of your design, including its lift and drag.

Good results in a wind tunnel test would show that your spaceship model is able to generate lift, which is the force that allows an object to stay in the air. This would indicate that your design is aerodynamically efficient and capable of flying. On the other hand, bad results would show that your model is not generating enough lift or is experiencing excessive drag, which is the force that resists motion through a fluid like air. This could mean that your design needs to be modified to improve its aerodynamic performance.

In terms of what to look for in wind tunnel simulations, you should pay attention to the lift and drag forces acting on your model. These can be measured and compared to known aerodynamic principles to determine the effectiveness of your design. Additionally, you can also observe the flow patterns and turbulence around your model to gain a better understanding of how the air is interacting with it.

I'm glad to hear that you have gained an interest in learning more about aerodynamics through your visual experiments in the wind tunnel. Keep exploring and experimenting, and you'll continue to gain valuable insights into the world of aerodynamics. Best of luck with your game development!