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Kirsten Wind Tunnel (KWT)

The Kirsten Wind Tunnel is a subsonic wind tunnel located on the central Seattle campus of the University of Washington. It operates as an auxiliary enterprise led by a staff engineer/manager as well as a crew of undergraduate employees who gain practical experience by running tests.

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Description

The Kirsten Wind Tunnel is a subsonic, closed circuit, double return wind tunnel. The tunnel has a test section with a rectangular 8′ x 12′ cross-section that is 10 feet long. Two sets of 14′ 9″-diameter seven-bladed propellers move the air up to 200 MPH through the test section. A computer-automated model positioning and data acquisition system ensures testing efficiency and precise measurements while a networked data reduction and plotting system allows for immediate data visibility. Most tests make use of KWT’s six-component external balance. We also support high channel count Electronic Pressure Scanning (EPS) systems.

Key Words

Subsonic, Wind Tunnel, KWT, Aerodynamics

Details

Type
  • Building
  • Equipment
  • Equipment - Measurement
  • Equipment - Large-scale testing
  • Facilities
  • Services
  • Services - Data analysis
  • Services - Data management
  • Services - Research consulting
  • Services - Training
  • Services - Statistics
Administrator
Campus Seattle
College / School / Unit College of Engineering
Location
  • KWT
Availability
  • UW and external users
Category
  • Education and training
  • Engineering and fabrication services
Year Started 1936
Director / PI

Contact Us

For webpage updates please email researchcommunity@uw.edu