Department of Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering, IIUM

The IIUM Low Speed Wind Tunnel

The IIUM Low Speed Wind Tunnel

Overview

The IIUM wind tunnel has been designed, developed and built for a maximum achievable wind speed of 50 m/s which is 180 km/hour, with a test section dimension of 2.3 m wide, 1.5 m high and 6 m long. The test section itself is an exchangeable component of the whole wind tunnel circuit, which can be replaced by another but different one or removed completely in order to allow testing within an open jet test section.

All the primary calibration tests on this wind tunnel have been conducted quite extensively. The calibration results exhibit good flow qualities. Some pertinent results in form of measured flow quantities are:

  • Dynamic pressure with variation within ±0.5%;

  • Flow angularity with variation within ±0.2 degrees; and

  • Turbulence intensities with variation within less than 0.11 %.

The IIUM LSWT is also equipped with a six-component force balance to measure aerodynamic forces and moments. This is a calibrated balance with an accuracy of 0.1% of the full scale. Balance specifications are:

Lift Force = ±2350 N

Drag Force = ±800 N

Pitching Moment = ±900 Nm

Side Force = ±2000 N

Yawing Moment = ±250 Nm

Rolling Moment = ±1200 Nm

Flow properties in the test section can be studied by using the available equipment at IIUM. These are:

  1. Constant temperature anemometer (CTA) system

  2. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system

  3. Flow probes such as Pitot-static tubes.

  4. 128 channel piezoelectric sensor rack.

Based on the widely acceptable wind tunnel standards, the IIUM wind tunnel is currently one of the largest wind tunnels in Malaysia, with excellent flow quality and instrumentation. More information about the wind tunnel can be obtained from the followings:

“The IIUM low speed wind tunnel: a historical perspective” by Waqar Asrar (2011) – http://irep.iium.edu.my/26039/1/IIUM_low_speed_tunnel.pdf

“The IIUM low speed wind tunnel” by Hasim et al. (2008) – http://irep.iium.edu.my/23673/1/The_IIUM_Low_Speed_Wind_Tunnel.pdf

“Flow field characteristics of the IIUM low speed wind tunnel” by Hasim et al. (2008) – http://irep.iium.edu.my/23674/

“IIUM Offers Wind Tunnel Facility To Car Makers” by AUTONews –  http://auto.bernama.com/v2/newsdetails.php?id=457935

Staff

Waqar Asrar, Professor, Incharge, IIUM LSWT. waqar@iium.edu.my

Amelda Dianne Adnan, Assistant Prof.  ameldadianne@iium.edu.my 

Mohammed Aldheeb, Assistant Prof.  aldheeb@iium.edu.my  

Azliza Embong, Tunnel Engineer, azliza@iium.edu.my

Azweeda Dahlan, Engineer, azweeda@iium.edu.my

Firdauz Hakem Marof, Assistant Engineer, firdauz@iium.edu.my

Mohd Norhafiz Adnan, Senior Technician. norhafiz@iium.edu.my

Students

Omer ElSayed Matbagi, PhD, Completed 2010

Thesis title: Wake vortex alleviation using differential spoiler setting

Afaq Altaf, MSc, Completed 2009

Thesis title: A Study of The Reverse Delta Wing Using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)

Amelda D Andan, MSc, Completed 2012

Thesis title: Estimation Of Aerodynamic Parameters of A Hybrid Airship

Afaq Altaf, PhD, Completed 2015- (joint PhD with Monash University)

Thesis title: Vortex alleviation of an aircraft wing using Reverse Delta Wings.

Publications

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf A. Omar, Kijung Kwon and Hyejin Jung, “ Experimental Investigation of Plain and Flapped Wing Tip Vortex “, Volume 46, Number 1, pp 254-262, AIAA Journal of Aircraft ,Jan./Feb. 2009, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Kijung Kwon, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf A. Omar, ‘Induced rolling moment for NACA4412 plain and flapped wing’ , Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Volume: 82 Issue: 1 p 23 – 31,ISSN: 0002-2667,DOI: 10.1108/00022661011028083, 2010, Emerald group Publishing, UK.

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf A. Omar, Kijung Kwon, Influence of Differential Spoiler Settings on the wake vortex characterization and alleviation”, AIAA Journal of Aircraft ,American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Vol. 47, No. 5, 1728- Sept. Oct. 2010.

  1. Afaq Altaf, Omar, A.A., Waqar Asrar, Hani bin Ludin Jamaluddin, “Study of the Reverse Delta Wing”, AIAA Journal of Aircraft, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Vol. 48, No. 1, p 277, Jan.-Feb., 2011.

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Ashraf A. Omar, Waqar Asrar, and Kijung Kwon,” Effect of Differential Spoiler Settings (DSS) on the Wake Vortices of a Wing at High–Lift-Configuration (HLC)”, Journal of Aerospace Science and Technology, Elsevier Publications, Volume 15, Issue 7, October-November 2011, Pages 555-566, doi:10.1016/j.ast.2010.11.001.

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Waqar Asrar and Ashraf A. Omar and Kijung Kwon,”Evolution of NACA23012 Wake Vortices Structure Using PIV”, ASCE’S Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Journal of Aerospace Engineering doi:10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0000109.

  1. Amelda D. Andan and Waqar Asrar and Ashraf A. Omar, “Investigation of Aerodynamic Parameters of a Hybrid Airship”, AIAA Journal of Aircraft, March-April 2012.

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf A. Omar, Reverse delta wing characteristics by particle Image Velocimetry, Proceedings of the 3rd Int. Symposium on Adv. Fluid/Solid Science & Tech in Experimental Mechanics, (ISEM) conference, Tainan, Taiwan, Dec 7-10, 2008.

  1. Fadilah Hasim, Rusman Rusyadi, Wijaya Indra Surya, Fariduzzaman, Waqar Asrar , Ashraf Omar, J.S. M. Ali, Yulfian Aminanda, Raed Kafafy, “Flow Field Characteristics of the IIUM Low Speed Wind Tunnel”, Proceedings of the 3rd Int. Symposium on Adv. Fluid/Solid Science & Tech in Experimental Mechanics, (ISEM) conference, Tainan, Taiwan, Dec 7-10, 2008.

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf A. Omar, Kijung Kwon and Hyejin Jung “ Experimental Investigation of Wing Tip Vortex “, 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 5 – 8 Jan 2009, AIAA-2009-1486, Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando, Florida.

  1. Omer A. Elsayed, Waqar Asrar, Ashraf A. Omar, Kijung Kwon, “ Span Load Modification via Differential Spoiler Setting”, 2010 RAeS Aerodynamics Conference, Univ. of Bristol, Bristol, UK, 27-28 July, 2010.
  1. Altaf, A., Omar, A. A. & Asrar, W., “Experimental Investigation of the Vortical Flow around a Reverse Delta Wing Using PIV”, Experimental Fluid Mechanics Conference, Liberec, Czech Republic, 24-26 November 2010.

  1. Andan, A. D., Asrar, W. & Omar, A. A. (2011) Estimation of Aerodynamic Parameters of IIUM Hybrid Airship. International Conference on Mechanical, Automotive and Aerospace Engineering, ICMAAE ’11. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  1. Altaf, A, Omar, A. A., Asrar, W. & Ludin, H. (2011) . Investigation of the Vortical Flow around a Reverse Delta Wing, International Conference on Mechanical, Automotive and Aerospace Engineering, ICMAAE ’11. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

  2. Andan, A. D., Asrar, W. & Omar, A. A. (2011) Aerodynamics of a Hybrid Airship, 4th International Meeting of Advances in Thermofluids, IMAT2011. Melaka, Malaysia.
  3. Altaf, A., Thong, T. B., Omar, A. A., Asrar, W., Impact of a Reverse Delta Type Add-on Device on the Flap-tip Vortex of a Wing, Accepted for publication in AIAA Journal, 2015.

 Completed Projects For The Industry

  1. Wind Tunnel Testing of Street Lamp at Wind Speed of 150KM / Hour
  2. Aerodynamic characteristics of a Blended Wing-body.
  3. Wind tunnel testing of Marine ladder.
  4. Aerodynamic characteristics of an airfoil. University Malaya.
  5. Wind tunnel testing of Advance warning triangles for SIRIM Bhd.
  6. Wind tunnel testing of warning triangles, Tritech industries Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia.
  7. Wind tunnel testing for force measurement and flow visualization of ‘Sepak takraw’ ball, University Malaya.
  8. Wind tunnel testing of Street Lanterns, Primelux Energy, Sdn. Bhd., Jitra, Kedah, Malaysia.

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