Design and Development of Miniature Mass Flow Control Unit for Air-Intake Characterization

Wind tunnel tests on high-speed air-intake configuration needs an accurate simulation of mass flow through the intake ducts. This leads to the requirement of miniature mass flow control device which provides linear variation in the throat area. Here, an attempt has been made to design and develop new miniature mass flow control device to characterize the air-intake model in the 1.2 m wind tunnel. This paper describes the design and development aspect of miniature mass flow control unit, drive electronics and its utility in wind tunnel testing of air-intake models. Emphasis is placed on experimental results obtained from an electrically actuated plug which controls the critical flow area at the downstream end of the intake model.