Multiple-flow wind tunnel for generating turbulence

Abstract

The invention relates to a multiple-flow wind tunnel system able to generate turbulence for the simulation and assessment of the aerodynamism of objects, which is formed by multiple air inlets, wherein each inlet has individually controlled air flow generators, grilles that allow the changing of the incoming air temperature and the inlet of gases for the visualisation of the respective inlet flow, flexible joints that allow the positioning of secondary air-flow inlets, position sensors that provide the directions in which the secondary inlets are oriented with respect to a mixing area in a testing section, a dedicated area for placing objects to be assessed, environmental sensors for controlling and collecting data, and a programmable electronic control to generate suitable wind profiles for each process.

Description

[0001] MULTI-FLOW WIND TUNNEL FOR GENERATING TURBULENCE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention is located in the sector of aerodynamics and aeronautics, particularly in the field of wind simulators through the generation of controlled air flows in order to evaluate the behavior of objects and their aerodynamics.

[0004] STATE OF THE ART

[0005] Current wind tunnels are used to simulate the conditions under which the developed equipment will interact. These simulations are highly accurate because they control various environmental factors in addition to air flow, such as pressure, temperature, and humidity. Furthermore, in some cases, they allow air flow to be visually observed using gases, thus corroborating previously performed computer simulations.

[0006] The antecedents found closest to the invention are:

[0007] D1: US2515069A for “Wind Tunnel,” by Colman Zola; published July 11, 1950. The document discloses devices for examining the behavior of bodies in high-velocity fluid flow, and more particularly an improved supersonic velocity wind tunnel for testing projectiles. The invention also provides an internal means for cooling combustion gases before they come into contact with the body whose behavior is to be examined. Furthermore, the invention seeks to be economical, easy to use, and extremely simple in its arrangement, so as to be effective in aiding in the collection of data related to the behavior of a projectile or other body moving relative to fluid. Finally, a further objective of the invention is to provide a tiny, high-speed wind tunnel that takes up a minimum of space. D2: “Turbulence Control in Multi-Fan Wind Tunnels” https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / S0167-6105(97)00124-4, the present study shows a wind tunnel designed for the generation and control of turbulent wind flows, using multiple fans and rows of oscillating blades, both controlled by a computer. The results obtained at the end of the study were the obtaining of profiles of turbulence parameters in longitudinal and vertical directions, as well as the realization of a certain degree of control of the Reynolds stress.

[0008] D3: KR102317375 “Wind Tunnel System for Calibrating Wind Direction of an Anemometer for Meteorology” by Joong Soo Park; published on 2021-10-26 , the present invention relates to a wind tunnel system for calibrating the wind direction of an anemometer for meteorology that is configured with a removable shelf so that anemometers of various sizes and shapes can be disassembled. Since the wind direction and wind speed test is performed while the entire removable shelf is rotated while the wind direction anemometer is fixed, the test fixation can be performed in a short time.

[0009] D4: US5435175A. “Wind tunnel having a free-stream test section for simulating wind direction fluctuations”, by Kramer Carl and Konrath Bernd; published on 25-07-1995. The invention shows a wind tunnel designed primarily for vehicle research, equipped with a nozzle that can rotate when the wind tunnel is in operation, to alter the direction of the air flow, wherein the nozzle comprises a stationary part and a rotating front part, within the nozzle pre-chamber, which surrounds the nozzle, a compensation flow can take place by rotating the nozzle front part, so that the quality of the jet flow from the wind tunnel is, if at all, barely noticeably affected by the rotational movement.To investigate flow-acoustic problems under varying wind direction, the wind tunnel may be equipped with sound-damping and attenuating devices, as well as an absorbent liner. D5: CN103439531 B “Wind Tunnel Sensing Test Device and Method for Automatically Calibrating Multiple Wind Meters,” by Huang Shouyuan, Jia Mintao, Chen Yihua, Jia Anmin, Ju Weiwei, Zhou Wei, Wu Lengjun, and Wang Shuang; published on 2015-02-18, the invention discloses a wind tunnel sensing test device and a method for automatically calibrating multiple wind meters.The device comprises a stream collector, a flow stabilization section, a low wind speed test section, an intermediate wind speed test section, a high wind speed test section, a gradual contraction section, a gradual expansion section, observation holes, and buffer nets. A barometric pressure sensor and a temperature and humidity sensor are arranged at the top of the flow stabilization section, and a wind speed sensor and a differential pressure sensor are respectively provided at the top of the low wind speed test section, the intermediate wind speed test section, and the high wind speed test section; a PLC control system adjusts and controls the blowing capacity of a draft fan.The device has the advantages of stability in wind current, automatic adjustment of blowing capacity, ease of operation, the ability to calibrate multiple wind meters simultaneously, and high measurement accuracy, among other things. Furthermore, the device can record, store, and process actual measurement results, and is suitable for automatic calibration of low-speed, intermediate-speed, and high-speed wind meters.

[0010] In the background described above the following problems were found:

[0011] • Background D2 complements the generation of turbulent winds by using horizontal moving blades within the test section, in conjunction with the group of multiple fans; in said study, a 2D and 3D fan arrangement was used. However, when a foreign body enters, the displacement of the air flow differs more from the natural displacement of the air. • Background D3 performs aerodynamic tests for different types of anemometers when these are fixed inside and rotate the shelf of the wind tunnel system, which can be done automatically. However, due to this design, it is necessary to have a large environment since the entire structure of the invention has to rotate around the placed anemometer, as well as having a rotating displacement structure.

[0012] • Background D4 simulates air fluctuations by using a rotating nozzle to modify the direction of the wind flow. However, using a nozzle as a directional element reduces the effective area of ​​the air flow, increases the necessary control, and finally, the vibrations generated in the nozzles by the passage of air are transmitted to the structure, thereby producing ambient noise.

[0013] • Backgrounds D1 and D2 indicate the use of multiple airflow generators, while backgrounds D3, D4, and D5 show the use of a single airflow generator; however, having only one inlet duct does not allow for a simulation that resembles real-life wind behavior, which is composed of various airflows from multiple directions.

[0014] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] As a solution to the aforementioned problems, the present invention was developed, which refers to a multi-flow wind tunnel system capable of generating turbulence to simulate and evaluate a body under aerodynamic conditions. In order to provide a simulation close to the real wind behavior, specifically, the generation of turbulent winds through various flows, the present invention seeks to implement a system of multiple air flow insertion chambers that are combined in the initial part of the test chamber and, subsequently, the resulting flows reach the object to be evaluated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Since wind flow in nature can be directed in any direction, a system is proposed that includes a fixed main wind tunnel and air chambers on the sides, which can move laterally and transversally, resulting in an inclination that ranges from 30° to 150° degrees.

[0017] Since the system requires multiple secondary converging airflow inlets, it uses flexible mechanisms to facilitate the configuration required by the simulation. Therefore, the system structure consists of:

[0018] - A wind tunnel composed of three main sections: a first section composed of a main air intake section with its respective convergence zone, a plurality of fans, and an interaction grille; as well as several secondary air intake sections with their respective convergence zones, plurality of fans, and an interaction grille in each; a second test section; and a third diverging outlet section.

[0019] - Flexible material gaskets located at the side inlets in the first section allow the convergence of all air flows from the air intake sections.

[0020] - Sliding and expandable bases that support the secondary air intake sections.

[0021] - A set of fixed supports that provide the necessary height to the main structure of the wind tunnel.

[0022] - Each interaction grid includes gas inlets and outlets for visualizing air flows in the test section, as well as air temperature variations.

[0023] - An electronic and mechanical control system for controlling each of the fans to be used and for regulating the temperature and insertion of gases through each grille.

[0024] - A plurality of environmental and position modules, primarily composed of: wind speed sensors, a temperature sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, humidity sensors, gas velocity sensors, gas concentration sensors, a particulate matter sensor, acceleration sensors, angular velocity sensors, magnetic position sensors, and position sensors. All environmental and position modules are arranged in each tunnel section.

[0025] The multi-flow wind tunnel system consists of an open-type wind tunnel, which is in a fixed position and has side inlets in the first section for combining air flow arriving from one or more converging wind tunnel inlets, which flows pass through the interaction grilles in order to change the temperature values ​​of the gases and provide their trajectory visibility.

[0026] In order to provide the largest possible range of wind profiles, the following considerations are considered: first, individual control of each fan to generate uniform and non-uniform flows; second, since the secondary air intake sections are connected to the main body through flexible joints, this allows the secondary inlets to have the required degree of inclination for each test; furthermore, the main body is at a specific height so that the secondary air intake sections do not collide with the surface of the test site when placed in their lowest position; and third, each of the side inlets in the main body of the first section has a sliding door to enable or block air entry through the secondary converging inlets.

[0027] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] Figure 1, block diagram of the multi-flow wind tunnel system capable of generating turbulence, showing the main parts that make up the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2, perspective view of a convergent inlet (main or secondary) of the wind tunnel, showing the fans, the interaction grille, and the arrangement of the environmental and position modules. Figure 3, perspective view of the test section and the outlet section corresponding to the main fixed structure of the wind tunnel, showing the arrangement of the environmental and position modules and the flexible material joint for a convergent inlet.

[0030] Figure 4, isometric view of the interaction grid showing the side inlet channels for gases that regulate the temperature of the grid, a side inlet channel for visualization gases and outlet channels located in the center of the grid through which they escape.

[0031] Figure 5, a perspective view of the entire system showing the main structure mounted on fixed supports, the convergent inlet mounted on a variable and sliding structure, an electronic and mechanical control system located in the lower area of ​​the test section, and environment / position modules distributed across the three sections.

[0032] Figure 6, rear view of the wind tunnel showing the secondary convergent inlet with an inclination degree of 40° with respect to the horizontal axis of the wind tunnel.

[0033] PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0034] The preferred embodiment of the invention is carried out in accordance with Figures 1 to 6. In the following section, the most relevant aspects of its structure will be detailed.

[0035] Figure 1 presents a diagram illustrating the complete multi-flow wind generator system. This system consists of a first section (100) composed of converging inlets, one of which is the fixed main inlet, while the others are mobile secondary inlets, connected to each side inlet in order to mix the various generated flows. Subsequently, it is connected to the test section (200) where the mixed wind flows impact the object to be tested. Finally, at the rear of the wind tunnel, there is the diverging expansion outlet (300).

[0036] A network of environmental modules and position modules (104, 201 and 301) are located throughout the three sections of the wind tunnel, providing data to the electronic and mechanical control system (400). This controller regulates the speed of each airflow generated at each converging inlet (100x), as well as thermal control and the introduction of visualization gases into each airflow.

[0037] The main tunnel is mounted on a set of fixed supports (500), while the secondary convergent entrance is supported by a sliding structure (600), which allows the desired spatial position and direction to be set.

[0038] Figure 2 shows a complete view of the wind tunnel, in which the electronic and mechanical control system (400) is located at the bottom of the test section (200). In addition, below the main structure of the wind tunnel are the fixed supports (500) that allow the structure to be raised approximately 60 centimeters. On the other hand, for the secondary convergent inlet there is a sliding support (600) of adjustable height and position, which allows the secondary inlet to adopt the required angle with respect to the axis of the main wind tunnel.

[0039] Figure 3 shows a view of the first section of the wind tunnel (100) with greater detail of each converging air inlet (101). In this view, multiple individually controlled air flow generating fans (102) located at the external inlet can be seen. These generate converging air flows that are measured by the sensors of the environmental modules / inlet position (104) that supply information on the air flow entering the electronic and mechanical control system (500). This air flow then passes through the interaction grid (103), which allows the air temperature to be controlled and the insertion of gases visible to the human eye, making it easier to determine its path.Subsequently, the various air flows that enter through the side inlets (105) where there are joints of corrugated flexible material (106) in each one, in order to prevent air leakage, then these flows converge to continue to the test section (200).

[0040] Figure 4 shows the test section (200) which houses the object of study. Likewise, a set of environmental / position modules (201, 301) have been arranged on all sides of the test section, the environmental sensors of this module have the purpose of measuring the atmospheric parameters of the incident air in order to provide feedback to the control system as well as being collected as study data. Next, the complete air flow exits through the divergent expansion outlet section (300) located at the rear of the wind tunnel. In this section, there are also a set of ambient / position modules in the outlet section (301) that together with the rest of the ambient / position modules obtain the environmental data of the air path from the inlets to the exit of the wind tunnel.

[0041] Figure 5 shows in detail an interaction grille 103, the main purpose of which is to allow for temperature variations in the incoming air flow by facilitating the passage of gases at a specific temperature entering through an inlet channel (103a) and exiting through an outlet channel (103b). In addition, it provides a view to the human eye of the air flow passing through the grille by injecting visible gases through an inlet channel (103c) and expelling them through small outlet channels (103d). On the other hand, depending on the required configuration, this grille may or may not smooth out the incoming air flow through its openings (103e).

[0042] In Figure 6, a variation in the position of the secondary convergent inlet (101) is observed with an elevation angle of 45° with respect to the horizontal plane of the test section of the main wind tunnel.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A multi-flow wind tunnel system capable of generating turbulence, characterized in that it comprises: a) a first air intake section (100) composed of a main section and a plurality of secondary sections, each of said sections having a convergence zone, a plurality of fans and an interaction grille; wherein: - said first main section has a structure of fixed supports (500) and side inlets (105) to place the secondary sections for mixing the air flows entering through the main section and the secondary sections so that they then flow towards the test section (200). - These secondary sections comprise: flexible material gaskets located at the side inlets in the first section that allow the convergence of all the flows from the air intake sections and sliding and expandable bases that support each of the secondary air intake sections.b) a second test section (200), c) a third divergent expansion outlet section (300), d) an electronic and mechanical control system (400), which in turn comprises an electronic computer system that performs individual control of air generating fans (102) that are located in the convergent inlets (101), captures, processes and transmits the values ​​provided by the ambient / position modules, enables and disables the entry of gases for temperature control and display gases through an electromechanical system, and has its own power control system capable of operating on batteries and external power supply. e) a plurality of environmental and position modules that are mainly composed of: wind speed sensors, temperature sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, humidity sensors, gas velocity, gas concentration, sensor of. suspended particles, acceleration sensors, angular velocity sensors, magnetic position sensors and position sensors; wherein said environmental and position modules are arranged in each section of the tunnel 2. A multi-flow wind tunnel system capable of generating turbulence, according to claim 1, characterized in that each air intake section has an interaction grid (103) capable of regulating the temperature of the incoming air flow and for the entry of visible gases into the test section to visualize the path of the air flow in the wind tunnel; 3. A multi-flow wind tunnel system capable of generating turbulence, according to claim 1, characterized in that the first main section also has blocking sheets at the side inlets (105) to prevent the unwanted entry or exit of air flows.

4. A multi-flow wind tunnel system capable of generating turbulence, according to claim 1, characterized in that the computer system also records the complete atmospheric data from the study, calculates and displays the relative position of each section of the wind tunnel.

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