Thomas J. Benson

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Carol A. Galica

Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

Anthony J. Vila

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels

With TunnelSim and TunnelSys

NASA/TM—2010-216822

October 2010

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Thomas J. Benson

Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

Carol A. Galica

Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

Anthony J. Vila

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels

With TunnelSim and TunnelSys

NASA/TM—2010-216822

October 2010

AIAA–2010–0080

National Aeronautics and

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NASA/TM—2010-216822 1 

The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels 

With TunnelSim and TunnelSys 

Thomas J. Benson 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Glenn Research Center 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

Carol A. Galica 

Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Inc. 

Cleveland, Ohio 44135 

Anthony J. Vila 

Vanderbilt University 

Nashville, Tennessee 37240 

Abstract 

The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels is a Web-based, on-line textbook that explains and 

demonstrates the history, physics, and mathematics involved with wind tunnels and wind tunnel testing. 

The Web site contains several interactive computer programs to demonstrate scientific principles. 

TunnelSim is an interactive, educational computer program that demonstrates basic wind tunnel design 

and operation. TunnelSim is a Java (Sun Microsystems Inc.) applet that solves the continuity and 

Bernoulli equations to determine the velocity and pressure throughout a tunnel design. TunnelSys is a 

group of Java applications that mimic wind tunnel testing techniques. Using TunnelSys, a team of 

students designs, tests, and post-processes the data for a virtual, low speed, and aircraft wing. 

Introduction 

The development of personal computers and the Internet presents new methods for students to learn 

mathematics and physics. The Web requires the use of a browser program that retrieves information from 

anywhere in the world and displays the information on the monitor screen. Special computer software like 

Java has been developed that can execute programs (or applets) within the browser. The input to and 

output from these programs is principally graphical and visual. Since vision is the most perceptive sense 

used in education, applets are particularly well suited for education. Educational applets can provide a 

student with a simulated desktop laboratory that can be used to develop a feel and an understanding of 

math and physics. Although the Web is currently used primarily for news, business and advertisement, 

engineers and scientists are beginning to develop software for the Web that can be used in education. For 

example, Reed and Afjeh, Reference 1, have developed a turbine engine design and analysis package, and 

Devenport and Shetz, Reference 2, have developed several aeronautical software packages that execute 

on the Web. Martindale, Reference 3, currently lists over 23,000 calculator programs, covering a wide 

range of engineering disciplines that are available on the Web. Most of these programs are intended for 

practicing engineers, but some of them are finding their way into undergraduate education. 

A team at the NASA Glenn Research Center has been investigating the use of the Internet for 

educational purposes. The studies have lead to the development of a large Web site called the Beginner’s 

Guide to Aeronautics (BGA). The BGA is a Web-based textbook that includes interactive programs to 

demonstrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics using airplanes, jet engines, model 

rockets, kites, and compressible, and hypersonic aerodynamics. The BGA is divided into several sections 

with each section built around an interactive software program. The Beginner’s Guide to Propulsion 

(BGP) section provides the math and physics background information for EngineSim, Reference 4. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 2 

EngineSim is a Java applet that calculates the thrust and fuel usage of a jet engine by performing a 

Brayton cycle thermodynamic analysis as described by Hill and Peterson, Reference 5, and Mattingly, 

Reference 6. EngineSim allows the student to vary all of the parameters involved in the thermodynamic 

analysis of a turbojet, turbofan, or ramjet engine and estimates the weight of the engine based on engine 

size and the component materials. The BGP is intended for students and teachers who desire a more 

thorough understanding of propulsion physics. Similarly, FoilSim and the Beginner’s Guide to 

Aerodynamics section, Reference 7, were built for students to explore the fundamentals of airfoils and the 

generation of lift and drag. 

The current paper presents information on a new section of the BGA that deals with wind tunnels. 

The science and mathematics are described in a new Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels (BGT) and there 

are several new applets and applications that allow students to learn the basics of wind tunnel design and 

testing techniques. TunnelSim allows the students to design a wind tunnel by changing the geometry and 

flow conditions in the tunnel. TunnelSys explores the process of wind tunnel testing from the design of 

tunnel models, through the actual testing, post-processing, and model modification. Additional 

background information is provided by nearly one hundred hyperlinked Web pages covering such topics 

as wind tunnel force balances, instrumentation, and flow visualization techniques. In the same way that 

the Web-based BGP was able to provide the technical information from the classical propulsion textbook 

of Mattingly and Hill and Petersen, it is hoped that the BGT will provide much of the technical 

information from the classical wind tunnel textbooks of Pope, References 8 and 9. 

Nomenclature 

A Area 

p static pressure 

u velocity 

 gas density 

Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels 

The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels (BGT) provides teachers and students with the basic science, 

technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) that is used in wind tunnels. The BGT is a Web-based 

textbook with pages that utilize the power of the Internet. Each page includes many linked references to 

other pieces of information, sophisticated computer graphics and animations, and interactive applets to 

demonstrate math and physics principles. The Web site includes galleries of pictures of wind tunnels and 

their application, Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft Corporation) presentations about wind tunnels that 

have been developed by NASA scientists, and copies of NASA publications on wind tunnels that the user 

can download or read on-line. Construction plans for several student wind tunnels are also available at the 

Web site. 

The format for a typical page from the BGT is shown on Figure 1. At the top of each page is a slide 

describing some topic associated with a wind tunnel; in this case, the operation of a low speed wind 

tunnel. The size of the slide was chosen so that it can be easily copied by the user and dropped into the 

user’s Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. Below the slide is a technical description of the topic of the 

slide with numerous hyperlinks to other pages. The hyperlinks appear as underlined words in different 

colors from the normal text and can be used to obtain a broad span of information related to the topic, or 

greater depth of information on a particular topic. Some of the related topics for this page include the flow 

conditions that affect the forces on the model and the various speed regimes for different types of wind 

tunnels. Detailed information on this page includes the mathematical equations that describe the variation 

of speed in the various sections of the tunnel as a function of the cross-sectional area. Mathematical 

equations and derivations are presented on many pages so that students can see how engineers use math to 

describe physical systems. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 3 

Figure 1.—Typical beginner’s guide Web page. 

Figure 2.—Bottom of typical Web page for beginner’s guide. 

At the bottom of every Web page there are navigation buttons, as shown in Figure 2. The activities 

buttons are linked to problems that were generated by teachers at summer workshops hosted at NASA 

Glenn. The “Wind Tunnel Index” button links to a list of all the pages at the BGT. Figure 3 shows the 

current status of the index page. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 4 

Figure 3.—Partial index of the BGT. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 5 

From the index page, a user can move to any other page at the site by clicking on the name of the 

page. With the index page, the user is never more than two clicks from any other page at the Web site. 

The index currently lists nearly one hundred individual pages covering a range of topics including the 

history of wind tunnels, wind tunnel design and operation, test techniques, instrumentation, types of 

tunnels, an extensive section on the Wright Brothers’ 1901 tunnel, plans for building several wind 

tunnels, and the fundamental mathematics and aeronautical science pertaining to wind tunnels. The BGT 

is a “living document” that is constantly being updated to include new features suggested by the users of 

the Web site. The BGT includes Java applet programs on as many pages as possible to allow users to 

learn through interaction. The following sections of the paper will discuss two of the major programs 

available at the BGT. 

TunnelSim 

TunnelSim is a Java applet that allows students to study and design their own low-speed wind tunnel. 

There are two distinct versions of the software; one for an open return tunnel, and the other for a closed 

return tunnel. Figure 4 shows a picture of the open return version of TunnelSim as it appears in the 

browser. The display is divided into five sections. At the upper right are several buttons and a drop down 

menu. The red “Reset” button returns the program to the default conditions. Calculations and input may 

be performed in either Imperial (English) units or metric units by using the menu button. A row of buttons 

describes the components of the wind tunnel; the bellmouth, the test section, and the diffuser. The buttons 

are used to reveal input panels for each component with the current selected panel indicated by the 

yellow-colored button. At the middle right, the selected input panel is displayed. Each component has a 

distinct input panel with its own design variables for input. Input variables include flow parameters, such 

Figure 4.—TunnelSim open return version. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 6 

as the pressure, velocity, and airflow, and geometric parameters that define the shape of the component. 

The student changes the value of an input variable by using the computer mouse to move the sliders, or 

the computer keyboard to type into the input boxes next to the sliders. On some input panels a drop-menu 

is used to select an option. As the value of an input variable is changed, the program instantly calculates 

the values of the flow variables in all of the components of the tunnel as well as the performance variables 

in the test section and graphically displays the results. At the bottom right, the flow conditions through the 

test section are displayed, including the Mach number, Reynolds number, velocity, pressure, and diffuser 

angle. The diffuser angle is the half angle formed by the change in height from the test section exit to the 

diffuser exit divided by the length of the diffuser. When applicable, warning flags are also displayed at 

the lower right as discussed below. At the lower left is the output for the various flow variables through 

the tunnel. The display includes a bar graph and a numerical value for the flow variable at each crosssection indicated on the schematic. The user selects the variable to display by using the buttons located 

above the graph; the velocity is shown in this figure. At the upper left, the geometry of the wind tunnel is 

shown. Views from the top and side of the tunnel are indicated on the display. The user can move the 

display within the window by using the computer mouse and resize the display by using the green slider 

at the left. As the user changes geometry input variables, the output geometry changes and the flow 

variable bar graphs are changed. Eight cross-sections are noted on the geometry display corresponding to 

the locations of the output bar graphs. 

The analysis used in TunnelSim assumes low speed flow and neglects the effects of fluid viscosity. 

The flow is assumed to be one-dimensional with a constant density (incompressible). The conservation of 

mass, or continuity, equation specifies that 

 u A = constant 

where is the density of the flow, u is the velocity, and A is the cross-sectional area. The value of the 

constant is determined at some selected cross-section and remains constant throughout the tunnel. For the 

one-dimensional flow through the tunnel, Bernoulli’s equation can be used to relate the velocity and 

density to the local static pressure, p, in the tunnel: 

p + 1⁄2 u

2

 = constant 

Since the density is assumed constant through the tunnel, the continuity equation reduces to: 

u1 A1 = u2 A2 

where the subscripts 1 and 2 represent different locations in the tunnel. As the student changes geometry 

input variables, the program calculates the change in the local cross-sectional area and the resulting 

change in velocity and pressure. 

There are certain combinations of input variables that violate the assumptions used in the analysis. If 

a speed of 300 mph occurs anywhere in the tunnel, the density in the tunnel would not be constant 

because of compressibility effects. If the program detects a high velocity in the tunnel, a red flashing 

warning is displayed at the lower right of the screen to warn the student that compressibility effects are 

present. If the diffusion angle from the test section to the exit exceeds 7, another warning is flashed to 

warn about possible flow separation in the diffuser. The analysis does not include viscosity, so it cannot 

predict boundary layer development or separation. But experience has shown that a diffusion angle of 7

or greater often results in boundary layer separation in diffuser ducts. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 7 

TunnelSys 

TunnelSys is a series of three Java application programs that simulate the systems engineering 

process of wind tunnel analysis. The separate programs allow students to design a wind tunnel model, test 

that model in a simulated tunnel, and post-process the data generated during the test to develop 

performance plots for the design. The individual TunnelSys programs communicate with each other via 

data files. Because Java does not allow the reading or writing of files from an applet, the programs of 

TunnelSys are written as Java applications and must be compiled and executed on a personal computer 

without access to the Internet. Because Java is platform-independent, any operating system may be used 

on the computer. The user must download and install the Java Development Kit (JDK) on the computer 

before compiling the programs. The source codes for Tunnelsys are provided for download at the BGT. 

An applet version of each program with an on-line user’s manual is provided so students can learn how 

the programs operate without saving data files. Each of the applications of TunnelSys writes an output file 

which can be printed by the student as a record of their calculations. 

The TunnelSys design program is shown in Figure 5. The design engineer must design a wing model 

that will be wind tunnel tested to determine the lift of the design. At the upper left is a computer generated 

picture of the wing model design. Below the picture are a series of input boxes and sliders that allow the 

design engineer to change the camber, span, and chord of the model. As the input parameters are changed, 

the wing drawing is also changed. Output boxes at the bottom of the figure provide information on the 

wing area and aspect ratio, while engineering drawings of the wing are shown at the right. When the 

design engineer has completed the design, the blue “Save Data” button is pressed and a form appears on 

the screen to allow the design engineer to create and save a data file on the computer. The data file can 

contain several different wing designs that can be wind tunnel tested by another student. Output from the 

design program is used as input to a wind tunnel simulator. 

Figure 5.—TunnelSys design program. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 8 

The wind tunnel simulator is shown in Figure 6. At the upper left is an animated picture of the model 

in the wind tunnel. On the computer screen, the blue and white particles flow past the model and separate 

from the upper surface should the angle of attack become too great. The test engineer sets the speed in the 

tunnel, the angle of attack of the wing, and the static pressure by using the sliders and input boxes located 

below the wing graphic. The test engineer selects the wing model for testing by pressing the yellow “Load 

Models” button. A browser screen appears that allows the test engineer to select the data file generated by 

the design engineer. At the bottom right the test engineer selects the particular model in the file for testing 

and the geometric parameters associated with the wing design are shown in the boxes at the lower right. 

As air flows over the model, the diagnostic plot of the static pressure variation around the airfoil section 

of the wing is shown at the upper right. Below the plot is a control panel for a diagnostic probe that can be 

moved through the test section of the tunnel. The probe location is given by the tip of the L-shaped white 

line in the graphics window at the left. The probe can display the local value of the velocity or pressure or 

can inject “smoke” into the tunnel for flow diagnostics. Below the probe control panel on the right, the 

program displays the calculated value of the lift of the wing. To record the output from a wind tunnel test, 

the test engineer uses the blue buttons in the middle of the program at the left. There are three types of 

tests that can be conducted: varying the speed while holding the angle of attack and pressure constant; 

varying the angle of attack while holding the speed and pressure constant; varying the pressure while 

holding the speed and angle of attack constant. When the test engineer selects the type of test, a screen 

appears to select a name and location for the output data file containing the results. The test engineer then 

presses the black “Begin Test” button and changes the selected variable using the slider or input box. Data 

is recorded by pushing the blue “Take Data Point” button and then a new value of the variable is selected. 

This process is repeated until the “End Test” button is pushed. Output boxes record the test number and 

point number as the output is generated. The test engineer may perform additional tests and store the 

results in the same output file. The output file from the test program is used as input for the data reduction 

program. 

Figure 6.—TunnelSys wind tunnel test program. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 9 

The data reduction program is shown in Figure 7. The data analysis engineer begins by selecting the 

data for analysis by clicking on the “Load Data” button. A browser appears and the analysis engineer 

selects the data file generated by the test engineer. Since a single file may contain multiple tests, the 

analysis engineer enters the test number and clicks on the “Open Test” button. The number of data points 

and the type of test is noted by the program and a plot of the data is displayed at the upper left. The 

analysis engineer may rescale the plot by using the buttons on the graphics panel. The analysis engineer 

may also select a different plot display by using the blue buttons on the left. At the upper right of the 

program is an additional display window. The analysis engineer may select to compare the plot at the left 

with other test plots in the window at the upper right, or the engineer can display a “movie” of a previous 

test point, as shown in the figure. The selection is made with the “Display” menu located below the right 

window. Details of the selected test point are given in the output boxes at the right. 

With the information generated by the analysis engineer, the lift performance of the wing design has 

been determined. The team engineers (design engineer, test engineer, and analysis engineer) must now 

determine if the process should be repeated to produce a better wing design or whether to proceed to 

flight test of the design. When used in a design class, the team should probably include a “program 

manager” to keep the team members on schedule and to determine when the design is finished. As 

currently configured, TunnelSys can only determine the lift of the wing design. Future versions of the 

program will also include the drag of the wing. 

Figure 7.—TunnelSys data reduction program. 
NASA/TM—2010-216822 10 

Conclusions 

High speed personal computers coupled with the Internet, interactive operating systems, and 

computer graphics provide many opportunities for new techniques to learn science, technology, 

engineering and mathematics. This paper has presented two new products that use interactive flow 

simulators and a Web-based textbook. The subject of wind tunnel design is used to introduce the ideas of 

functions, graphing, physical units, test techniques, and flow measurement and visualization. A guiding 

principal in the development of the BGT, TunnelSim and TunnelSyS is to do more than just present 

answers to problems; it is to involve student in the learning process by having them work with the 

package to achieve a result. When using TunnelSim, as the design parameters are changed, the output 

panels show the variation in conditions throughout the tunnel, the change in the configuration of the 

tunnel, and the change in test section performance. With control of the input conditions, the student learns 

how a wind tunnel operates and performs. More importantly, students see how graphs are used to present 

data, and develop a feel for the physical concepts of velocity, pressure, density, and the units used to 

describe them. 

TunnelSys has been developed to introduce a team of students to the systems engineering aspects of 

wind tunnel testing. Each student is responsible for their own part of the wind tunnel testing process; 

design of a model, testing of the model, and post-processing the data from the test. Communication 

between the team members and a project manager is important for the success of the project. With the 

TunnelSys computer programs, students can practice the process without the expense of actually building 

and testing a physical model. 

References 

1. Reed, J.A., and Afjeh, A.A., “A JAVA Simulator for Teaching Gas Turbine Operation,” AIAA Paper 

97-0850, 1997. 

2. Devenport, W.J. and Shetz, J.A., “Boundary Layer Codes for Students in Java,” ASME 1998 Fluids 

Engineering Summer Meeting, June 21–25, Washington, D.C., 1998. 

3. Martindale, J., Calculators On-Line Center, http://www.martindalecenter.com/ 

Calculators4_1_Aero.html, hosted by University of California, 2009. 

4. Benson, T.J., “EngineSim and the Beginner’s Guide to Propulsion,” ASME 2001 Fluids Summer 

Meeting, ASME Paper FEDSM2001-18228, 2001. 

5. Hill, P.G., and Peterson, C.R., Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion, Addison-Wesley 

Publishing Co., Reading, MA, 1965. 

6. Mattingly, J.D., Elements of Gas Turbine Propulsion, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY, 1996. 

7. Benson, T.J., “Using Computers in Fluids Engineering Education,” ASME 1998 Fluids Engineering 

Summer Meeting, ASME Paper FEDSM98-5135, 1998. 

8. Pope, A., and Rae W.H., Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Testing, John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY, 

1984. 

9. Pope, A., and Goin K.L., High-Speed Wind Tunnel Testing, Krieger Publishing, Malabar, FL, 1965. 
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14. ABSTRACT

The Beginner’s Guide to Wind Tunnels is a Web-based, on-line textbook that explains and demonstrates the history, physics, and 

mathematics involved with wind tunnels and wind tunnel testing. The Web site contains several interactive computer programs to 

demonstrate scientific principles. TunnelSim is an interactive, educational computer program that demonstrates basic wind tunnel design and 

operation. TunnelSim is a Java (Sun Microsystems Inc.) applet that solves the continuity and Bernoulli equations to determine the velocity 

and pressure throughout a tunnel design. TunnelSys is a group of Java applications that mimic wind tunnel testing techniques. Using 

TunnelSys, a team of students designs, tests, and post-processes the data for a virtual, low speed, and aircraft wing. 

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