Quote:
Originally Posted by Cd
Why is it that most tunnels are in a huge room ( the University of Toronto, and the one that Ford has come to mind ) and others like the DARKO and A2 are in a small car port sized tunnel ?
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There are a number of tunnel designs and each has specific merits.
A large,open test section allows a lot of maneuvering near the jet,plus low blockage ratios,and the ability to yaw the vehicle.
For straight up drag measurements,as long as buoyancy factors,and boundary layer thickness is addressed,smaller,less expensive tunnels (Pinifarina for example) can return drag and lift data as accurately as the 'monster' tunnels.
1,800-hp is a lot cheaper to run than 18,000-hp or more.
Hucho has an entire chapter devoted to tunnels.
Alan Pope's ,book,'Low Speed Wind Tunnel Design' goes into detailed design.