Remotely Accessible Wind-Tunnel Measurement Platform for Academic Purposes

This paper presents the design, development and implementation of a remotely accessible wind-tunnel testing platform. NI CompactDAQ has been selected to act as the primary control unit, which is connected to the host PC with the developed web-application to enable the remote accessibility. The web-application has been developed based on LabVIEW to ensure smooth compatibility with the NI device. The web-application includes multiple-interfaces corresponding to different measurement scenarios. This includes; 1) variable speed operation of the wind-tunnel fan, 2) three force balance to measure drag, lift and moment forces on a test airfoil within the tunnel test section, 3) torque and rpm of an external rotor. Testing has been performed both on-site and remotely, where no measurement delay has been observed in the online testing. The implemented testing platform serves for both undergraduate students as well as postgraduates in relevant courses related to wind-energy.