June 16, 2006

1 Min Read
Wind Tunnel Adds Testing Capabilities

Originally Published MPMN June 2006

INDUSTRY NEWS

Wind Tunnel Adds Testing Capabilities

A maker of thermal solutions has added a 21,000-cfm wind tunnel and blower to its facility. The new wind tunnel at Lytron (Woburn, MA; www.lytron.com) is designed to test heat exchangers. Applications include medical and industrial lasers, medical imagers, analytical instrumentation, semiconductor equipment, and machine tools.

The wind tunnel has flow rates ranging from 150 to 21,000 cfm. It is equipped with a variable-frequency drive to control the blower. It also has an electronically controlled damper for fine-tuning. The air-side frontal area has test section capabilities up to 6 × 6 ft. Flow rates are measured with 0.25% accuracy by a 24- or 6-in. converging and diverging nozzle. Capacitive-type pressure transducers are used to gauge a drop in pressure.

To test liquid-to-air heat-exchanger systems, a 40-kW hot-oil pump stand is used in conjunction with the wind tunnel. It can pump up to 125 gpm. The pump stand uses solid-state proportional control to supply the desired oil temperature. The wind tunnel and hot-oil pump stand systems can be operated together or separately for customized testing capabilities.

Lytron has also expanded its data-recording capabilities. The firm has added a data acquisition system, as well as a high-accuracy sensor system. All physical parameters in wind tunnel testing are obtained and recorded with 16-bit resolution using a 32-channel chassis with onboard multiplexer. Custom programs calculate product performance and can quickly detect the condition of a test setup.

Copyright ©2006 Medical Product Manufacturing News

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