Brown University

An Aerolab wind tunnel, which was installed in 2019 at Brown University, is now ready for use.

An Aerolab wind tunnel, which was installed in 2019 at Brown University, is now ready for use.  The tunnel has a 1.2 x 1.2 x 4 meter test section and can operate at speeds from 2 – 50 meters/second (approx 5 – 120 mph). The test section is enclosed by a BioSafety Level 2 enclosure with HEPA-filtered air exhaust. Known as the “White House” the enclosure allows for the safe testing of wild-caught birds and bats without the risk of transmitting any infectious agents.

The flow quality is excellent, with turbulence fluctuations below 0.03% of the free stream velocity. The wind tunnel has a complete suite of measurement systems including sting balances, model positioning system, and a traversing system.

The tunnel can be used for both aerodynamic and animal fight experiments and is employed by researchers based at Brown University, other research institutions, and public and private companies.