DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING
FINAL YEAR PROJECT
ON
DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF SEMI SPAN
CALIBRATION RIG
PROJECT GUIDE: DR. B.N. RAVIKUMAR
ASHWIN B M
ACHUTHA N
GHATIKACHALA RAO D
ADARSHA NAGARAJA UDUPA

OBJECTIVE

Checking the feasibility of Half Rig support frame and

its casing to satisfy the given end conditions.
This Rig is used in Wind tunnel to check various
parameters of an aerodynamic model.
The Expected model is subjected to static vertical load
and torsional load.

ABOUT NTAF

NAL stands for National aerospace laboratories. CSIR stands for

Council of scientific and Industrial Research.
NTAF stands for National Trisonic Aerodynamic Facilities. The NTAF
is operated as national facility founded by three major users viz.,
ISRO, DRDO and CSIR and maintained by CSIR-NAL. The major
test facilities are 1.2 m and 0.6 m Trisonic wind tunnels.
Wind tunnels with auxiliary facilities, electrical sub-stations,
compressed air facility, design and manufacturing.
Major test capabilities include, Force and pressure measurements,
air intake tests, flow visualization techniques, half-model support
system.

Wind Tunnel

To provide
constant
conditions
in the test
section

Supersonic nozzle

To avoid
condensation in
the test section
during expansion

Blowdown tunnels are normally used from high

subsonic(incompressible) to high supersonic flow(compressible)
conditions.
Initially valves are opened upstream and downstream of the test
section. The pressure ratio establishes a supersonic flow in the test
section and the air flows from the high pressure chamber to the low
pressure chamber
As the flow expands in the nozzle, the pressure decreases and any
moisture in the tunnel may condense and liquefy in the test section.
To prevent condensation, air is brought into the tunnel through
a dryer bed. The air is pumped into a closed high pressure
chamber upstream of the plenum. At the same time, air is pumped
out of a closed low pressure chamber downstream of the test section
Air leaving the high pressure chamber decreases pressure and the
air entering the low pressure chamber increases pressure.
As a result, this process lasts for about 30 seconds after which initial
conditions are brought in the pressure chambers.

Mach number(MorMa) is a dimensionless

quantityrepresenting the ratio of flow velocitypast
aboundaryto the localspeed of sound. The speed of Mach 1
is equal to the speed of sound.
Advantages of the Blowdown Tunnel
High Mach capability. Easy tunnel "starting".
Lower construction and operating costs.
Superior design for propulsion and smoke visualization. There is no
accumulation of exhaust products in an open tunnel.
Smaller loads on model during startup because of faster starts.
Disadvantages of the Blowdown Tunnel
Shorter test times require faster (often more expensive)
instrumentation.
Need for pressure regulator valves.
Noisy operation.

Open circuit
wind tunnel

1.2 m
Wind Tunnel

1. The Calibration Rig to be designed is to be placed in the test region

of the wind tunnel.
2. Parameters to be calibrated are Pitch,Roll,Yaw of the aerodynamic
model.

Half Model Support System Side wall mounted half model support system
enables testing of larger size half-models to reduce scale effects and to
increase accuracy of the results. The model can be tested in the Mach
number range of 0.2 to 2.0 with in the angles of incidence range of -20 to
45

METHODOLOGY
Problem statement
To design a welded frame which can withstand a vertical load
of 2000 kgs and which has max dimensions of 1000x1120 mm
and height of 1.35 m.
Also to choose a appropriate channel.
This would involve the study of,
1. Column design
2. Weld design
3. Gussets
4. Beams

Solution
Column design
Condition: One end fixed and other end free.
Critical load= 2000 kgs for 4 columns.
Therefore, 500 kg for each column.
Assume FOS, n = 2.5.
P= 500x9.81x2.5= 122625.5 N
L=1.35 m
Effective length, L= 2L=2.7 m
Using the formula,
P=2EI/L2
Comparing value of moment of inertia with standards of
rectangular steel pipes ,cross section of 60x40x2.6mm was chosen.

BEAM design
Using Indian Standard DIMENSIONS FOR HOT ROLLED STEEL BEAM,
COLUMN, CHANNEL AND ANGLE SECTIONS, we chose a channel of
the specifications shown in the figure.

STATICALLY DETERMINATE AND

INDETERMINATE STRUCTURES
STATICALLY DETERMINATE

STATICALLY INDETERMINATE

Equilibrium conditions are fully

adequate to analyse the structure.

Conditions of equilibrium are not

adequate to fully analyse the
structure.

Bending moment or shear force at

any section is independent of the
material property of the structure.

Bending moment or shear force at

any section depends upon the
material property.

Extra conditions like compatibility

of displacements are not required
to analyse the structure.

Extra conditions like compatibility

of displacements are required to
analyse the structure along with
the equilibrium equations.

As the structure is statically indeterminate, gussets and cross members

were added based on results of analysis.

CAD model
The welded frame was designed in CATIA.

Analysis of welded frame

The designed model was analysed for stresses and deflections in
ANSYS.

POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
Dedicated crossed-flexure-pivot balance for measurement of hingemoment on control surface needs to be developed. These are
specially designed to measure small hinge-moment in the presence
of large values of other loads.
Further we have to design a casing which houses motor at one end
and a axial arm at the other end (cantilever beam).
Axial arm is used to support the scale down model for which the
parameters need to be calibrated .
Lastly ,we have to design a appropriate mechanism to complement
hinge moment.

REFERENCES
Strength of Materials -Timoshenko
Strength of Materials - R K Bansal
Indian Standard dimensions for hot rolled steel beam, column,
channel and angle sections [Third revision]
JSW steel standards for rectangular pipes
Design of machine elements- J.B.K. Das
Design data handbook- K. Lingaiah
NASA Glen research centre-Blow down wind tunnel [web page]