The wind tunnel, which allows objects to be studied with air flow at 180 km/h has been launched at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The installation will support scientific research, education, and industry collaboration.
The construction of the wind tunnel cost PLN 1.8 million. The installation is 14 meters long and 6 meters high. It makes it possible to conduct tests on objects measuring one meter by one and a half meters – with maximum air speed reaching 180 km/h. The investment makes it one of the few facilities in Poland offering such capabilities – and the first of its kind in the region.
Professor Michał Stosiak, Deputy Head of Department of Technical Systems Operation and Maintenance at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,Wrocław University of Science and Technology explained that the tunnel enables analyses of larger components and structures once they are properly scaled. He noted that it is possible to measure flight parameters as well as interactions between the tested object and its surrounding environment. According to him, such research allows, for example, the development of appropriate shapes for a given design, such as to reduce the current consumption in the motors of a given object or device, depending on external resistance
He added that there are plans to use acoustic cameras for testing in the tunnel.
Professor Artur Kierzkowski, Head of the Department of Operation of Technical Systems at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, emphasized that the idea to build the wind tunnel was closely tied to the university’s ongoing work on unmanned aerial vehicles. Drones have become a key area of focus at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, with numerous doctoral, engineering, and master’s theses currently dedicated to UAV-related topics.
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