Wind Tunnel Tests

On this page is a short selection of photographs taken during the course of wind tunnel tests carried out by Robert Allen at the National Research Council facility in Ottawa, Canada. Photographs taken by Robert Allen, please do not use without permission.

Rimmed Rotor Model In Operation

During the mid-1980's Allen Technology provided support for Vertitech Aerospace Corporation of Victoria, BC, Canada, as control and instrumentation systems engineering consultant during research aimed at developing a high altitude station-keeping craft based on a rimmed-rotor design.

For our own use Robert designed and constructed a 36-inch diameter model of the proposed rotor system, scaled by Reynold's number to allow rapid generation of coarse data for our preliminary control system design work.

The model had variable pitch airfoil sections and was mounted in a motor driven assembly to allow easy test configuration and operation. Although not originally designed for wind tunnel tests, the model proved very successful and arrangements were made to test it in the large cross-section wind tunnel in Ottawa, Canada.

The model and mount were adapted on-location by Robert Allen and Aimo Pitkanin, and subsequent testing was conducted over a one-week period during which we collected data on flow, drag, lift and stability and control characteristics of the model.

Data was collected electronically and photographically during the test sequences. Because the tests at this facility were planned on relatively short notice and the test window was strictly limited by the facility schedule, the test sequence was managed dynamically and planned daily based on overnight analysis of collected data - made for a long week!

Here you may see the progression of a flow wake around the rim section with the rotor in rotation and medium speed flow within the tunnel cross-section.