Wind Tunnel Instrumentation and Facility Automation Workshop
- Date:
- 10th September 2025
- Location:
- Guildford
- Organisation:
- University of Surrey
- Host(s):
- Dr Dave Birch and Dr Paul Hayden
Aim of workshop:
The aim of the workshop was to share with wind tunnel operators, users, and customers the state-of-the-art in wind tunnel systems automation, including facility operation, instrumentation calibration and use, safety systems, and integration. The goal was to provide a case study in increasing facility loading and efficiency relevant to small- to medium-scale wind tunnels.
Large, high-TRL wind tunnel facilities were often operated around the clock with staff in three shifts. For small- and medium-size facilities (including university wind tunnels), this was not tractable. However, with an appropriate balance of automation and remote operation (and carefully planned safety systems), it was possible to keep a medium-scale facility operating around the clock as well. In this way, facility loading could be significantly increased without a significant increase in resources.
At the University of Surrey, the unique operating conditions of the EnFlo wind tunnel often lead to extremely long experimental time scales. To adapt to these conditions and ensure consistency and quality in measurements, a high degree of experimental automation has been implemented. This includes monitoring and recording of metadata, facility and model control, instrument calibration, measurement, data quality control (on-the-fly ‘bad point’ rejection and repeat), data storage/retrieval- and, perhaps most importantly, the multi-layered safety systems that protect laboratory users from the inevitable hazards arising.
The purpose of the workshop was to share best practice in facility and experimental automation, and to demonstrate how these automated systems could work.
Target Audience:
The workshop was aimed at technical specialists in wind tunnel operations, management, and planning—including advanced users of facilities and common optical, force, and pressure instrumentation hardware.
Workshop Materials (PDF downloads):
- Context: the EnFlo atmospheric wind tunnel & its unique challenges
- Tracer Concentration Measurements and FFID
- Laser Doppler Anemometry
- Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)
- Pressure Measurement
- Automated Flow Seeding
- Overview of the Lab Systems
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