Standard products  |   Electronic Cooling  |   Special Products

Wind Tunnels were developed during the late 1800's when it was recognized that outside conditions were too uncertain to plan and execute the testing required to aid in man's quest to fly. As John Smeaton, in a paper read before the Royal Society in 1759, stated: "In trying experiments on wind mill sails the wind itself is too uncertain to answer the purpose; we must have recourse to an artificial wind."

What began as a basic tool for investigating aerodynamics has developed into a piece of equipment vital for developing and refining a wide range of a basic scientific knowledge and consumer products. Everything from aircraft, automobiles, computer chips, gas fireplaces, bicyclists, to the evaporation of common household cleaners can be tested in a wind tunnel.

ELD designs and fabricates wind tunnels of every imaginable configuration. We have many standard sized wind tunnels that you can choose from or modify to fit your research, experiment, educational and demonstration needs. We offer open circuit and recirculating configurations of many different flow rates and cross sectional test areas.

The test section is the most important part of any wind tunnel, since it is the area where all of the work is performed. The remainder of the tunnel is, in essence, a set of, well designed, HVAC ducts guiding the airstream to this one critical area. The test section can be supplied with as much access as is required by the testing. The test section available with our standard designs incorporates a removable ceiling secured with quick release fasteners. If desired, the floor can also be made to be removable or the arrangement can be rotated 90°enabling one or both sidewalls to be removable. A limited number of ports (up to 15.2cm (6") in diameter is standard and up to 30.5cm (12") can be supplied) can be machined in any of the test section surfaces. Flanged Plexiglas plugs close the ports during operation.

Features that we have supplied in the past, but not considered standard, include: either diverging ceiling and floor panels or sidewalls to account for the boundary layer growth through the test section; hinged windows supported by gas springs for easy access to the model under test; recessed panels for customer test jigs; removable floor section(s) for inserting floor strut balances; two dimensional (either X-Y or Y-Z) or three dimensional traversing systems arranged for manual or stepper motor control; offset false surfaces for boundary layer work; and boundary layer suction on any combination of surfaces. Look into our instrumentation section to view many of the standard options offered.

Our vast experience in designing and building experimental facilities has exposed us to a wide variety of testing and has allowed us to develop a deep library of arrangements that can be applied to new situations. Our goal is to provide you with a fully functional test section that will allow its use immediately after the wind tunnel is installed.

If you are doing either LDA or PIV work and the refraction angle or the non-flatness of the Plexiglas surfaces introduces undesired optical effects, we can incorporate optical quality, flat glass into an appropriate side of the test section. ELD will work with you to design a system that meets your testing needs.



Standard Wind Tunnels

Model 401	Model 402	Model 403	Model 404	Model 405	Model 406	Model 407

Electronic Cooling Wind Tunnels

Model 01	Model 02

The semiconductor industry has recognized the need to be able to accurately characterize the performance of semiconductor devices and various package systems and related components under a broad range of thermal environments. Manufacturers of PC's and smaller scale devices have the requirement to quantify the cooling air requirements for individual boards, multi-board arrays and ancillary components.

ELD Inc. fabricates electronic cooling wind tunnels that feature low turbulence, uniform flow, easy operation, versatile test sections and are the accepted industry and research standard for electronic cooling flow test facilities. More than 30 of these wind tunnels are in the laboratories of the world's leading semiconductor and computer manufacturers.

The prototype 12" Low Speed - Variable Temperature Recirculating Wind Tunnel was used to develop standard JEDEC 51-6, Integrated Circuit Thermal Test Method Environmental Conditions- Forced Convection (Moving Air).

For testing that requires the thermal characterization, pressure drop characteristics and flow performance of electronic components ELD offers Flow Test Facilities.



Specialty Wind Tunnels

36" Open Circuit Wind Tunnel	24" x 36" Recirculating Wind Tunnel	36" x 48" Recirculating Wind Tunnel	12" x 36" Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel	2" Supersonic Wind Tunnel

When ELD standard products don't meet your needs, we will work with you to modify a standard or develop a custom design to meet your specific requirements.