Journey so far

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National Wind Tunnel Facility, IITK
Journey so far Its Mission Past, Present, and
Future Dr. K. Poddar
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Presentation Overview

• Introduction
• Report on NWTF activities (2006 2008)
• Projected Activities for next 3 years (2009
  2011)
• Strengthening NWTF team
• Proposed HRD Plan
• Proposed Academic Programs
• Proposed Expansion Programs
• Experimental Facilities
• Computational Facilities
• Design Inspection Facilities

NWTF (IITK)
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Background

• National studies coordinated under the auspices
  of ARDB in the late eighties identified a strong
  need for a low speed wind tunnel in India to
  provide Indian Industry with adequate support in
  experimental aerodynamics for effective
  development work. Thus, a National Wind Tunnel
  Facility Project (NWTF-P) was initiated.
• NWTF was conceived as an autonomous activity at
  IIT Kanpur in the academic environment, with the
  objective to construct, operate, maintain and
  further develop the wind tunnel facility as a
  Users Facility.
• Further, due to funding constraints it was
  decided to implement the project in two phases as
  follows
• Phase I
• Tunnel circuit, fan, motor, and drive system
• Model support mechanism, turntables, and
  instrumentation
• Phase II
• Test section parking hall and tunnel control room
• Instrumentation and calibration rooms
• Model design, inspection, integration rooms and
  model shop
• Wind tunnel offices, conference room, model
  display room

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National Wind Tunnel Facility
Established in 1999 with the financial support
from ARDB, DST, and IIT Kanpur, the National
Wind Tunnel Facility (NWTF) has unique and
nationally recognized capabilities to evaluate
aerodynamic performance of flight and road
vehicles as well as wind effects on civil
engineering structures.

• Special Capabilities
• Full-model testing with sting support system
• 2-D model testing using turntables
• Open jet testing
• Flow diagnostic using PIV visualization
• Ground effect simulation with moving belt
• Gust and cross-wind simulation
• ABL simulation for civil applications

• Important features
• High Reynolds Number simulation
• Very low turbulence
• Interchangeable mobile test sections
• Automated measurement control systems

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National Wind Tunnel Facility
NWTF is committed to take up sponsored and
consultancy projects of national importance as
well as supporting academic research at IIT
Kanpur.

• Major contributions
• In house RD activities through sponsored and
  consultancy projects
• Interdisciplinary and Inter-departmental
  interaction through support for PG Students
  Thesis and faculty RD projects
• RD support for National Aerospace Programs of
  ADA, ADE, ADRDE, ARDE, DRDL, NAL, VSSC
• RD support to Civil Engineering industry
• HRD through short courses and symposiums

Space Capsule Recovery Experiments
Active Research Areas Decelerator aerodynamics,
unsteady and high angle of attack aerodynamics,
Low Re aerodynamics, flow controls, ground
effect on flight and road vehicles, Automobile
aerodynamics wind effect on structures, virtual
instrumentation
LTA on Sting Support System
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NWTF Users

• Academic Institutions IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT
  Bombay
• ISRO VSSC
• CSIR NAL
• DRDO ADA, ADE, ADRDE, ARDE, DRDL
• CIVIL BHEL, LT, Gammon India, REL, PCTL, NTPC,
  
• DVC, IJT, Alstom India, Lodha Bellissimo, etc.
• Wind Energy Suzlon
• Automobile Tata Motors, MM
• Railways RDSO, Contransys Pvt Ltd

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Space Recovery Capsule
Space Applications
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Reusable Launch Vehicle
RLV-SVT
RLV-TVT
VSSC
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Space Vehicles with Launch Tower
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Aeronautical Applications
Control surface effectiveness study
Aerodynamic buffeting study
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Air-intake Mass Flow Simulation
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Study on Aerofoil
GAW-Aerofoil
LS-E2-Aerofoil
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Aerodynamic Study on Missile Models
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Decelerator Aerodynamics
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Study on Ram-air Parachutes
Ram-air parachute test rig
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Double Stacked Wagon
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Study on Thermal Power StationsAero-elastic
Chimney and Cooling Tower
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Civil Engineering Applications
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Major Ongoing RD Projects

• (1) Aeronautical
• Experimental study on Single and multi-element
  airfoils for RTA
• Experimental study of low Reynolds number airfoil
  for MAV
• Aerodynamic characteristics of RLV Ascent 150
  lift off, 113 scale Ascent and Descent, RLV 18
  and 16.25 FADS
• Ground wind studies on GSLV-M3, PSLV
• Wind tunnel studies on DRDL MK-3 missiles
• (2) Non-Aeronautical
• Aero-elastic model study of NDCT
• Wind tunnel study on rigid model of 81 storey
  residential tower
• Wind tunnel testing on rigid model of I.G.
  Stadium sports complex
• Aero-elastic model study of 275 m tall RCC Triple
  flue Chimney

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Tunnel Utilization
Year Wind OFF Hours Wind On Hours Total Hours Tunnel effort (Rs. In Lakh) Tunnel effort (Rs. In Lakh) Total project amount (Rs in Lakhs)
Year Wind OFF Hours Wind On Hours Total Hours Paid Notional Total project amount (Rs in Lakhs)
2006 580 190 770 80 38 130
2007 520 230 750 90 30 150
2008 540 298 838 155 20 220
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Tunnel Utilization (in terms of income)
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Tunnel Utilization (in terms of occupancy)
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Normalized Tunnel Utilization
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Occupancy forecast for next 3 years
Serial Organizations Wind OFF Occupancy (hrs) Wind ON occupancy (hrs) Total Occupancy (hrs)
1 VSSC 500 300 800
2 DRDO 650 350 1000
3 CSIR 325 175 500
4 Civil 550 300 850
5 Others 250 150 400
Total Total 2275 1275 3550
Projected occupancy 80 per year for paid
projects. Projected income Rs 236
lakhs/year (at the rate of Rs 20,
000/hr) Remaining 20 can be utilized for
in-house RD, students research, and HRD
activities.
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Strengthening NWTF team
The following manpower distribution is required
for effective tunnel operation
Manpower Current strength Requirement for full fledge operation (60 above occupancy)
Research Engineers 3 4 2
Technical Assistant 1 3 1
Mechanics 2 8 4 8
Office staff 2 3
Project Ass 2 4
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Proposed HRD Programs
Existing HRD programs in wind tunnel testing
techniques through short courses, symposium, and
workshop mainly for professionals Propos
ed HRD programs in experimental techniques
using wind tunnel covering model design,
instrumentation, measurement techniques, data
acquisition analysis, report writing, and
validation of CFD tools - For UG PG
engineering students across the country
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Proposed Academic Programs
Major MS by Research Minor Experimental fluid
mechanics
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Additional Facilities proposed

• Aerodynamic research facilities
• Low speed wind tunnels for academic research
• Annular cascade tunnel
• Supersonic and hypersonic facilities
• High speed jet, shock tube
• Open circuit wind tunnel for civil applications
• Computational facilities
• Design, manufacturing inspection facilities

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Various Thrust Areas of Research

• Fluid Structure Interaction
• Low Reynolds Number Aerodynamics
• Unsteady Aerodynamics
• High Speed Aerodynamics
• Wind Energy
• Active and passive flow controls

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Concluding Remarks

• NWTF is committed to take up sponsored and
  consultancy projects of national importance as
  well as supporting academic research.
• NWTF Proposes following academic programs
• Minor Experimental fluid mechanics
• Major MS by research
• NWTF proposes to add various research facilities
  in the
• areas of low high speed experimental
  aerodynamics

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We Look Forward to Your Continued Support
Thank you