The small wind tunnel “KWK” is the main tool for basic investigations at GLR with a wide range of application.
Various experiment campaigns with manifold aims were conducted such as the high spatial resolved investigation of film cooling jets or a series of measurements to determine the sublimation behaviour of naphthalene.
Furthermore the KWK is used for tests of measurement instrumentations and functional components as for instance the verification of infrared technique and the stress test of a swirl generator, both before the implementation in the “Large Scaled Turbine Rig”.
The wind tunnel is of open type working with ambient air and driven by a blower in suction mode. It has an observable flow volume with rectangular and constant cross section which is mechanically and optically accessible from three sides. Hence several installations can be mounted easily and the use of divers measurement techniques are uncomplicated.
The flow rate is determined by different methods, as Prandtl-probes, Pitot-probes, hot wire anemometry or further methods dependent on the experiment campaign. But in every case the flow rate is controlled by a throttle downstream of the blower.