UK Research and Investment (UKRI) has announced a £23 million fund for a network of world-leading university wind tunnels, led by Imperial.

The National Wind Tunnel Facility+ (NWTF+), will see the creation of 11 new wind tunnels, an experimental database and upgrades to existing facilities.

Imperial College London will receive £2.9 million to host the NWTF+ Hub and establish new facilities, while NWTF+ Nodes will operate out of a dozen other partner universities in the UK (see full list below). 

The aim of the NWTF+ is to create world class, open access wind tunnels that address societal and industrial grand challenges including the next generation of net zero technologies; advances in emissions reduction; and future technologies for transport, energy, and healthcare.

A growth industry

The new NWTF+ investment puts the UK at the forefront of experimental aerodynamics Professor Jonathan Morrison NWTF Chair

Worth nearly £14 billion per year and employing more than 45,000 people, the fluid dynamics industry supports key sectors including aviation, aerospace and environmental science. Wind tunnels perform a vital function in research and development by replicating complex real-life complex conditions, such as those found in and around a jet engine.

Imperial has long been a global leader in fluid dynamics and the Department of Aeronautics hosts state-of-the-art wind tunnels ranging in capability, size and speed – operating as high as Mach 9 (nine times the speed of sound). The Department hosts the new Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation.

Recent cutting-edge projects at these facilities include improving aircraft emissions through the development of technologies to reduce drag (Dr Isabella Fumarola); determining the extent of airborne transmission of COVID-19 carrier particles during exercise (pictured above; Dr George Papadakis); examining turbulence upstream of wind turbines (Dr Kevin Gouder); and designing cooling systems for hypersonic flight (Dr Jeremy Basley). Many of these projects are conducted in the Department’s 10x5 low-speed tunnel (directed by Dr Kevin Gouder).

Next generation facilities

Imperial has played a central role in the NWTF since the initial investment in 2014. As part of the latest funding, the College will receive £2.1 million which will go toward the development of an Electro Magnetic Suspension Balance System (MSBS). This will enable researchers to estimate forces on submarines, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), re-entry space capsules and other engineering bodies at ‘flight’, without the need for external supports. Such a facility could reveal the ‘hidden’ aerodynamics of flapping flight and enable the improved design of UAVs at low speed.

Professor Jonathan Morrison, Chair of Experimental Fluid Mechanics in the Department of Aeronautics, who chairs the NWTF, comments:

"The new NWTF+ investment puts the UK at the forefront of experimental aerodynamics, generating new technologies for net-zero transport and the environmental challenges of dispersion and noise. New high-skills jobs will also be generated”.

NWTF Hub

The National Wind Tunnel Facility is a great example of UK experts pooling resources and knowledge Claire McNamara NWTF Project Manager

NWTF Hub, based at Imperial, will receive £800k to coordinate the network and operational activities on behalf of the 13 member universities. The Hub is focused on developing the overarching strategy for the NWTF, including coordinated grant applications, knowledge exchange, development of group projects, conferences and special interest groups. It also helps to deliver a coordinated approach to UK wind tunnel strategy that supports the future of UK industry and academia whilst also tracking, measuring and reporting the effectiveness of initiatives and the day to day operations, ensuring the facilities are available to all researchers.

Claire McNamara, NWTF Project Manager, who leads the NWTF Hub, comments: “The National Wind Tunnel Facility is a great example of UK experts pooling resources and knowledge and making them available to everyone. This £23m investment will build the network to develop facilities that tackle future societal and industrial grand challenges including net zero, emissions reduction and energy.”

Infrastructure Roadmap

The latest investment for the NWTF+ is part of a wider £72 million package from UKRI’s Infrastructure Fund and Digital Research Infrastructure programme.

Executive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council and UKRI Champion for Infrastructure, Professor Mark Thomson, commented:

“Scientists working on research from life sciences to aircraft safety depend on access to the most advanced equipment and facilities.

“This investment in the UK’s research and innovation infrastructure will ensure the UK is at the forefront of scientific discovery. It will support our scientists in responding to major global challenges including net zero and food security.

“Five years on from the publication of UKRI’s Infrastructure Roadmap, this shows how we are taking a strategic approach to identifying the facilities the UK needs and how to support them.”