Home

Poul la Cour Tunnel

Wind speeds similar to three times hurricane strength

One of the biggest wind tunnels in the world

The wind tunnel is among the biggest university owned tunnels in the world, and the combination of test possibilities makes the wind tunnel one of a kind, not just nationally but globally. This is due to the size of the wind tunnel and high flow speed as well as the possibility to combine measurements of aerodynamics and noise.

The Poul la Cour Tunnel is a wind tunnel of the closed-return type. The fan is driven by a 2.4 MW motor, giving a volume flow up to 630 cubic meter per second corresponding to a maximum test section velocity of about 105 m/s or 378 km/h. The maximum Reynolds number per meter is 7 million. Thus, for a standard two-dimensional wing sections with a chord length of 1.0 m the maximum Reynolds number will be 7 million. In special cases the chord length can be 1.25 m or even bigger resulting in a maximum Reynolds number of 8.8 million or even higher.

Test section specifications

Width: 3.0 metres
Height: 2.0 metres
Length: 9.0 metres
Maximum flow speed: 105 m/s (378 km/h)
Turbulence intensity: < 0.1%
Low background noise
Re number/m: 7 million

Airline Section Specifications

Area: 2200 square metres
Fan diameter: 4.7 metres
Fan power: 2.4 MW
Maximum wind speed: 105 m/s or 378 km/h
- Corresponding to three times the speed of a hurricane

Measurement equipment facts

- Pressure scanners with 384 sensors
- Lift measurements using pressure measurements on airfoil, the wind tunnel walls and/or force gauges on shaft
- Drag measurements using a wake rake or pressure measurements on airfoil or force gauges on shaft
- Noise measurements using an array of 84 microphones to focus on noise sources
- Turntable with precise positioning of angle of attack
- Miscellaneous sensors