Automated Industrial Wind
Tunnel Controller
By Daniel Monahan and Nick DeTrempe
Advised by Dr. Aleksander Malinowski
Customers are Dr. Scott Post and Dr. Martin Morris
Further assistance provided by Mr. Christopher Mattus
1
Presentation Agenda
 Project Overview
 Objectives
 System Block Diagrams
 Hardware Discussion
 Communications
 Server
 LabView
 Testing and Debugging
 Questions
2
Overview Of Project
3
Objectives
 Remotely turn the wind tunnel off, adjust the wind
speed and adjust the position of the target object.
 Remotely view and record lift, drag and wind speed
data, as well as target position.
 Allow for users to view the wind tunnel via webcams
while controlling.
4
System Block Diagram
5
Wind Tunnel Block Diagram
6
Microcontroller Software
Perform an running average
calculation with the fifteen most
recent samples for that channel as
a basic filter.
Output the averaged value to
the serial port
Yes
Initialize Timer 3 to trigger
A/D conversions at 600 Hz
(100 Hz for each of the 6
channels.)
Initialize Timer 4 to
control the UART
for serial
communications.
Has new data been
received from an A/D
convesaion?
No
Has a character
been received via
UART?
No
No
Yes
Loop to receive all characters until
an end of line character is
received.
Add the new command to the
command queue.
Is there a
command in the
queue?
Yes
Execute the command
7
Hardware Discussion
 Omron G3NA-225B AC relays
 Dayton 1EGX1 double pole double throw switch
 Omron G3NA-D21B DC relay
 LMD-18200 H-Bridges
 FA-PO-150-12 Linear Actuator
 LM 703 force sensors for lift and drag
 Setra pressure sensors
 Silicon Labs C8051F12o microcontroller
8
Relays to Control Remotely
9
Microcontroller
10
Actuator To Adjust Target
11
Lift and Drag Sensors
12
Communications
 Serial Port Interface
 “BO” – Turn the blower on
 “BS” – Stop the blower
 “DO” – Start opening the damper
 “DC” – Start closing the damper
 “DS” – Stop moving the damper
 “xnnnn” – x denotes the measured sensor
 “xnnnn” – nnnn denotes the measured value
13
Server
 The server is written in java and runs on a local
machine at the wind tunnel
 Purpose is to communicate with the microprocessor
and relay information to clients via TCP protocol
14
Server
15
LabView
 A LabView client
program has been
developed to allow
for testing and
configuring the
wind tunnel control
Figure 3: LabView Test
Client Front Panel
16
LabView
 The client both displays data from and sends
commands to the server, which relays the signals to
microcontroller
 The front panel can be easily reconfigured to accept
alternate methods of input or to display data
differently
 The client is easily deployed as a packaged executable
requiring only the LabView engine to run.
 The program also has the capability to record data
received from the wind tunnel
17
Overview of LabView “Code”
Angle Control
Loop
Wind Speed
Calculator
Automatic
Wind Speed
Control Loop
18
LabView
 Control Loop for actuators angle position
19
LabView
 Air Speed Calculated From the following equations
20
LabView
 LabView implementation of the equations from the
previous slide to give the wind speed in the tunnel
21
LabView
 Wind Speed Control Loop: Opens and closes damper
based on desired wind speed
22
Testing and Debugging
 Hyperterminal was used to test and debug the
microcontroller software apart from LabView
 A test server was created based on the actual server. It
allowed the LabView client to be tested in lab apart
from the wind tunnel
23
Overall Progress
24
Questions?
25