Wind tunnel for urban planning
An open environmental wind tunnel designed and built in-house. It matches a conventional tunnel of its size while using about five times less power.
- Test section
- 2 ft × 2 ft × 2 ft
- Fans
- Arrays of variable-speed DC fans on two sides
- Power
- About 5× lower than a single-fan tunnel
Two arrays of variable-speed DC fans let us create controlled velocity shear profiles, which simulate how wind behaves near the ground in the atmosphere. Compared with single-fan tunnels of a similar size, this design gives the same performance for about a fifth of the power.
What it is used for
- Urban wind flow around building models
- Pollutant dispersion
- Natural ventilation
- How vegetation affects airflow
- Thermal stratification
Current work
We are benchmarking velocity measurements and flow visualisation on standard prototype models across different wind speeds and surface roughness. This includes model preparation, calibration, measurement, smoke-based visualisation and data analysis.
The tunnel is used by our researchers, faculty and students. School students in the Young Tech Scholars summer programme have also used it for hands-on projects, including a weather information system for smart homes. Over time, the facility can support real-world validation of airflow, ventilation and microclimate strategies across the campus, and inform urban planning and policy.
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