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Background
Existing Wind Tunnels
NWT
Publications
NWT Model
Turbulence Research Laboratory
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by William
K. George, Rolf Karlsson,
Martin Wosnik, and T. Gunnar Johansson
Turbulence
Research Laboratory
Department of Thermo and Fluid Dynamics
Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Experimental work in a large research wind tunnel is needed
to solve a number of fundamental questions and enable scientists and
engineers to further improve computations of turbulent flow. Simply
put, the problem is how to achieve a separation of length scales, energetic
to dissipation, of 10^5 or larger and still be able to resolve
the smallest scales occurring in the flow with the smallest technically
feasible probes (approximately 10 x10^(-6)m).
The Nordic Wind Tunnel...
- will be a very large (test section: length 40m, cross-section 3m
x 3m), low-speed wind tunnel with very low background turbulence (u'/U
< 0.02%). It will be the only facility in the world with this combination
of size (length and width) and high flow quality.
- will enable turbulence experiments on a scale that will not be achievable
with computers for many decades. It will be used to address many of
the fundamental questions that have held back turbulence research
for half a century.
- also has tremendous potential for commercialization due to its unique
size and flow quality. This ensures its long-term viability serving
a variety of industries.
- will be operated as a major Nordic and European Facility. Many of
the world's leading scientists have enthusiastically endorsed this
facility (see letters of support) and they expect high quality work
to result from it.
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