Numerical characterization of pressure drop through a low speed wind tunnel: Some design aspects

The present study is an attempt to computationally analyze major and minor energy losses in a low speed wind tunnel (LSWT) with special emphasis on pressure drop characterization together with a co-relating theoretical analysis. This study produces preliminary results for analysis and design of an open-circuit LSWT which is to be constructed at Center of Fluid Mechanics at Mondragon University (MU) for analyzing low speed wind flow application(s) with reduced form pressures losses for flow past bluff bodies. Various losses at different sections in the wind tunnel are calculated and total pressure drop across the wind tunnel are estimated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and theoretical methods.