Advancements in Microcontroller Technology for Wind Speed Measurement in Wind Tunnels

The wind speed gauge is essential in wind tunnel airflow simulations to accurately replicate real-world conditions. Traditional methods for measuring wind speed involve using a manometer with red fluid, which generates analog data. However, due to the expense and unavailability of the red manometer fluid in Indonesia, wind tunnels that still rely on manometers face a challenge. To overcome this, a new wind speed measuring instrument has been developed using easily obtainable materials and microcontroller technology. The instrument's design involved hardware, software, and system design stages, utilizing an Arduino Uno R3 microcontroller, a differential pressure sensor MPXV7002DP, and an LCD. This wind speed gauge is based on Bernoulli's principle, which uses a pitot tube to measure wind speed up to 25m/s, and displays the results on the LCD screen. To ensure its accuracy, the instrument was compared to a calibrated anemometer, confirming its suitability for measuring wind speed in low subsonic wind tunnels.