The design methodology and performance of Loughborough University’s new 1·9m × 1·3m, indraft wind tunnel is discussed in the following paper. To overcome severe spatial and financial constraints, a novel configuration was employed, with the inlet and exit placed adjacent to each other and opened to atmosphere. Using a fine filterudmesh, honeycomb, two turbulence reduction screens and a contraction ratio of 7·3, flow uniformity in the working area of the jet atud40ms-1 is shown to be within 0·3% deviation from the mean velocity, with turbulence intensity in the region of 0·15%. Working section boundary layer characteristics are shown to be consistent with that of a turbulent boundary layer growing along a flat plate, which originates at the point of inflection of the contraction. A maximum velocity of 46ms-1 was achieved from a 140kW motor, compared to a prediction of 44ms-1, giving an energy ratio of 1·42. Comparisonudbetween theoretical and measured performance metrics indicate differences between the way modules perform when part of a windudtunnel system compared to data gathered from test rigs.
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