Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
Climatic Wind Engineering Laboratory
Ústav teoretické a aplikované mechaniky › CET › About CET › Laboratories › Climatic Wind Engineering Laboratory
Contact Person of the Laboratory
Research Equipment
Climatic Wind Tunnel
- designed as a closed circuit with controlled wind velocity and temperature conditions. It consists of climatic and aerodynamic parts. While the aerodynamic part provides well-fitted conditions to study wind effects on scaled model of prototypes, an equipment of the climatic part is suited for investigation of influences of weather including the wind, temperature, rain and heat radiation. Using the cooling/heating exchanger, cycle temperature changing of the airflow is available in the whole tunnel within the range of -10 to 30 C in relatively short time period. Integral part of the tunnel equipment consists of instruments for airflow diagnostic, data acquisition system, direct pressure surface measurement, precise thermometry and of many other types of handy accessories for instant use. Workshops for manufacturing of testing models are available in the same building.
- Climatic Section – experiments related to the research in engineering problems within civil engineering, architecture, heritage care and in other fields where wind effects appear along with further factors like freeze, radiant heat or rain. The climatic section is in a rectangular cross-section of 2.5 × 3.9 m with length of 9.0 m. In this section, the wind speed ranges from 0.8 to 18 m/s (depending on the position of the vertically moveable ceiling and flow nozzle). The rain intensity together with the size of drops is regulated to simulate the effects corresponding to drizzle or heavy rain. The radiation system with four infrared lamps with total power of 8 kW, and maximal incidence of 60° to the floor, is available. The power is regulated in full extent and, if needed, just one lamp can be in operation.
- Aerodynamic Section - experiments in the field of wind effects on structures, wind characteristics, local wind environments, pedestrians comfort, aero-elastic structural response, diffusion, pollutant dispersion and matter transport, wind effects on building heat losses and ventilation, wind effects on transport systems, wind power generation. The aerodynamic section consists of the converting nozzle with a honeycomb and the working part with turning table. The working part is in a rectangular cross-section area of 1.9 × 1.8 m. The total length of the working part is 11.0 m, including the turbulent generators. The simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer with demanded characteristics is based upon turbulent elements, such as spires, grids, barrier and floor roughness. The wind speed range for empty working section is 1.5 – 33 m/s.
· CTA (Constant Temperature Anemometry) – also known as thermal anemometry, for the measurement of velocity and turbulence in 1, 2 or 3-dimensional air flow.
· PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) – a non-intrusive image based measurement technique for velocity pattern diagnostics, turbulence, microfluidics and spray distribution.
· DEWETRON – the modern data acquisition system of the simultaneous sampling provides 24-bit A/D conversion with anti-aliasing filtering and the top-notch signal conditioning. Usable for analogue and digital signal capturing with advanced post-processing tools. Can be used for individual pressure measurements using pressure transducers, combined with other dynamic measurement like potentiometers, strain-gages, etc. 32 analogue channels are available.
· Traverse System Dantec - auxiliary instrument for accurate spatial mapping of measured position in the wind flow.
· Pressure Scanner Scanivalve - mean value based pressure transducer is used for the direct pressure measurement on structural surfaces.
· Pressure transducers – direct surface pressure measurement using fast sampling transducers.
· Environmental measurement – thermo cameras, vane anemometer, thermo-anemometer, temperature probes, thermo-hygrometer, atmospheric pressure sensor.
· Five-Hole Probe Aeroprobe – used to obtain the scalar and vector properties of complicated flow fields in terms of three-dimensional velocity component.
· Flow Visualization – high volume liquid droplet seeding generator, fog generator, helium (He) bubble generator system.
· Manometer LU 200 – vertical liquid column manometer for measuring variations of pressure, depression or differential pressure of air.
· Pitot Tubes – a pressure measurement instrument used to measure air flow velocity.
Realized projects:
