Wind Tunnel
Low Speed Wind Tunnel:
The Wind Tunnel mainly consist of five parts, inlet or Honeycomb section with graded screens for flow straightening, Nozzle or convergent section, Main Test Section Unit, Diffuser or Divergent Cone, Variable frequency drive fan with motor. The Wind Tunnel construction is of Teak Wood.
The Tunnel is Open Circuit type having a square opening of 0.6 x 0.6 m at a contraction ratio of 9. The honeycomb & screens at inlet are provided for uniform flow distribution.
The maximum speed of suction with a 7.5 HP electric motor drive is about 40 m/sec. Smooth & Continuous variations of speed are provided over a wide range of 0 – 60 Hz by means of variable speed drive of electric motor. A fixed pitch 6 bladed metal fan coupled to the electric motor by suitable couplings drive the tunnel.
Large Plexiglas windows provided on both sides of test section permit easy accessibility for model mounting etc. Necessary static pressure connections for measurement of Tunnel speed have been provided.
Accessories Include:
Multi Column Inclined Tube Manometer
Smoke Generator
Strain Gauge Balance
Multi Competent Digital Force Indicator
Technical Specifications:
Type of Tunnel: Low Speed, Open Circuit, Suction Type
Test Section: 0.6 x 0.6 m
Test Velocity Range: 0 to 30 m/s
Contraction Ratio: 9:1
Drive: Axial flow fan driven by AC motor with VFD controller, digital speed indicator and control unit, 5 HP, 1440 RPM
Overall Size: 10 x 1.5 x 2 m (L x W x H in meters)
Material of Construction: Teak Wood
Power: 415 V, 3 Phase, 50 Hz
Center for Advanced Research and Education:
International engagement is becoming an imperative for higher education, given the pace of globalization and the flow of people and ideas across geographical borders. Virginia Tech’s Strategic Plan 2012-18 calls for Virginia Tech (VT) to position itself to further develop a distinctive profile as a progressive and internationally recognized research university. As part of the strategy to realize this goal, the university decided to establish a strong educational and research presence in India.
On 09th October, 2015, a new entity– Virginia Tech India Research and Education Forum (hereafter called VT India) was established to carry out the broad mission of fostering science, technology, and innovation to solve global problems facing humanity. Virginia Tech’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), a premier research Center, has led the effort to initiate and develop a dynamic and meaningful research program focused on a few key technologies under its newly-forged Virginia Tech India Center for Advanced Research and Education (VTICARE).
“This is a historic moment for Virginia Tech,” said former President Charles Steger. “Virginia Tech, India will create a place in India where engineers, students, and high tech science professionals from the United States and India will work together and learn from each other.”
Drawing on the success of its parent institute in Blacksburg, Virginia, “the creation of VTCARE marks an important new step in unleashing innovative ideas and fostering cutting-edge technologies through collaborative research for advancing the cause of a sustainable future,” said former ICTAS Director and current ICTAS Global Ambassador Roop Mahajan. He hopes that people will look back someday and say, in the words of Jon Gertner, author of The Idea Factory, “this was where the future, which is what we now call the present, was conceived and designed.”
Characterization Lab
Materials characterization lab consists of facilities required for the characterization of the ferroelectric and piezoelectric ceramic samples. It includes radiant tester capable of measuring ferroelectric polarization, leakage current, and piezoelectric displacement measurement. Besides, high voltage power supply (40kV, 1200 W), pico-ammeter, d33 meter and high temperature poling set up are other equipment available in characterisation lab.
Processing Lab
Materials processing lab is equipped with the facilities for the synthesis of small piezoelectric single crystals, bulk ceramic samples, Nano-particles, and graphene. It consists of facilities like the high-temperature furnace, fume hoods, spot extractors, hot air oven, centrifuge, hot plates, ultrasonic baths, and analytical balance, etc.