Visualization of flow patterns has singularly played an essential role in the advancement of the physical understanding of fluid mechanics. Flow visualization techniques have enabled a deeper understa..
Visualization of flow patterns has singularly played an essential role in the advancement of the physical understanding of fluid mechanics. Flow visualization techniques have enabled a deeper understanding of flow phenomena, the development of mathematical models for complex flow problems, the verification of existing theories as well as the design of engineering systems. Smoke visualization is a widely used method for studying the flow of fluids - particularly air - without the introduction of probes that may influence the character of the flow. Accordingly, there is a significant interest in the development of an effective smoke visualization technique at the MicaPlex Low-Speed Wind Tunnel. The present study focuses on the refurbishment of the existing smoke-generator-type visualization system at the facility to reduce mineral-oil deposits caused by the generator inside the pressurized plenum. A venturi’s nozzle was designed, manufactured, and tested as a replacement for the plenum. The design incorporated incompressible flow assumptions and featured an air compressor at the entrance, two butterfly valves, and a smoke injector at the choke point. The nozzle was printed in a masked stereolithography (MSLA) printer and tested in the facility. An iteration of the design, build, and test procedure was followed to optimize the nozzle. The engineering concluded with the successful development of a surrogate for the plenum. This innovation has the potential to create more effective flow visualization studies at the MicaPlex Low-Speed Wind Tunnel.