This article was first published in the July 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
Need to simulate a strong tornado? The Wind Engineering, Energy and Environmental Research Institute (WindEEE), which opened in October 2014 at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, can create hyper-realistic tornadoes and other 3D wind phenomena. "It's like a chamber in which we can play God with the wind," says Horia Hangan, the centre's founding director.
The tornadoes form in a hexagonal chamber 25 metres in diameter with 100 fans unevenly distributed around the base of the walls. Air is pushed inside the chamber through the fans and then louvres in front of them to create a directional wind speed, which results in a twist at the base of the chamber. There is an opening in the ceiling connected to another chamber containing six fans; these run in reverse to produce suction, creating a tornado. The aim: to improve the way buildings cope with extreme wind, and boosting the energy output of wind turbines. "We are moving to the next scale," says Hangan. "Modifying engineering guidelines and codes of practice from the wind's perspective, as opposed to just talking to one architect to fix one building."
Unlike conventional wind tunnels, the lab can replicate a variety of conditions. "We can put a couple of wind turbines in the chamber and test them in different configurations." The researchers use the observations to optimise production and to devise ways to protect turbines from storms. We're blown away.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
