The 20- by 28-Inch Shear-Flow Tunnel is an atmospheric, open-circuit tunnel with a top speed of approximately 100 miles per hour that was purchased as a self-contained unit from Aerolab. Intended primarily for fundamental boundary-layer research, a series of inlet screens and a large contraction ratio deliver air to the test section with very low freestream turbulence. The 15-foot-long test section features large windows on both sides and an adjustable ceiling for control of the pressure gradient through the full length of the test section. The large windows provide excellent optical access for laser velocimetry (LV) and particle-image velocimetry (PIV) measurements.
