Study of aerodynamic forces on a rotating wind driven ventilator

A wind driven ventilator is a simple, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly device that can improve comfort and the working environment. Unfortunately very little is known about the complex flow field associated with the operation of this device. A wind tunnel investigation of the flow associated with a rotating wind ventilator was, therefore, carried out at the aerodynamic laboratory of the University of New South Wales within the Reynolds number range of 1.1 × 105 to 5.5 × 105. An attempt was also made to study some of the important features associated with operation of a rotating wind ventilator using a simple model of a stationary and a spinning cylinder. The results were encouraging and several flow features were identified for future improvement in the performance of a wind ventilator.