A LabVIEW© based wind tunnel data acquisition system
By: Michael R. Huff
Contributors: Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Number of pages: 114
Description: The NPS Aerolab Low Speed Wind Tunnel located in Halligan Hall of the Navy Postgraduate School has been in operation since 1953. Although the tunnel is well maintained, its data acquisition system has not kept  pace with modem technology. An effective but affordable solution for acquiring data was needed. It was determined that a software package known as LabVIEW would provide a low cost, data acquisition solution that will enhance the capabilities of the wind tunnel, while at the same time making it more user friendly to faculty and students. The focus of this thesis is the design of a VI that will collect and plot force and moment data from a six component strain gauge balance and yield real time, non-dimensional, force and oment      coefficients in six degrees of freedom. Wind tunnel tests consisting of angle-of-attack sweeps in the NPS aerolab low-speed wind tunnel were conducted t6 verify (IiD)Isp optimized, M=6, conical-flow waverider data obtained in 1994 using a different data acquisition system. Results of current testing substantiate the LabVIEW code and the validity of  the 1994 test data.  Analysis of the current wind tunnel test data resolved pitching moment concerns related to the 1994 data.
Notes: "September 1998."

Thesis advisor(s): Conrad F. Newberry.

Thesis (M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering) Naval Postgraduate School, September 1998.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-72)

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited.

Also available online.

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

System Requirements: Adobe Acrobat reader.

US Navy (USN) author.

updated dlb 12/13/06