Wind Tunnel Experiment for Environmental Fluid Mechanics

ABSTRACT

***Background and Purpose***
Environmental fluid mechanics examine how airflows transport momentum, heat, and pollutants in natural and/or built environments. Laboratory-scale wind tunnel experiments provide a controllable way to study these processes by simulating atmospheric flows around (models of) terrain, buildings, and/or vegetation. This project aims to use wind tunnel measurements to investigate flow structures, turbulence, and dispersion under selected environmental conditions.

***Research Questions***
1. How do surface roughness (terrain) and obstacles (buildings) affect airflow and turbulence?
2. How are pollutants transported and dispersed in various controlled flow conditions?
3. How well do wind tunnel results represent true-scale environmental flows?

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

1. Basic understanding of fluid mechanics
2. Introductory knowledge of environmental flows and turbulence
3. Ability to follow laboratory safety procedures
4. Skills in fabricating 3D-printing models, as well as setting up and running wind tunnel experiments
5. Familiarity with measurement instruments such as pressure sensors, hot-wire anemometers, or flow meters
6. Basic data collection and experimental logging skills
7. Programming skills in Python, MATLAB, or similar tools
8. Data analysis, statistics, and visualization skills
9. Ability to interpret flow patterns, velocity profiles, and turbulence data
10. Scientific writing, teamwork, and presentation skills