The CWT-100™ is a research quality wind tunnel designed for PCB and component level testing. It is used in air flow characterization and flow visualization, thermal resistance measurements and generation of P-Q curves. The wind tunnel can be used to characterize different heat sink sizes for natural and forced convection cooling. Two heat sinks can be tested side by side to determine their thermal performance in the same environment. Actual or simulated PCBs can be tested for air flow distribution and pressure drop characterization.
CWT-100™ fans are tray-mounted and easily replaced with another tray to accommodate larger or smaller fans. If other flow ranges are required, the air velocity in the test section can be varied from 0.5 m/s(100 ft/min) to 10 m/s (2000 ft/min) with the fan tray that is provided.
The CWT-100™ has 18 sensor ports on the front and sides of the test section, which allows for the insertion of a variety of probes, such as thermocouples, Pitot tubes, velocity measuring sensors, etc. It can be operated both vertically and horizontally. The test section is made of PlexiglasTM for ease of flow visualization.
PCBs are mounted on a flexible railing in the test section. The flexibility of the movable mounting plate allows users to design and build their own modifications to suit specific needs. The mounting plate can be adjusted in two directions using appropriate length standoffs.
The wind tunnel has honeycombs and screens to suppress turbulence and provide uniform and near homogeneous flow at the test section. A mounted diffuser at the exit and before the fans helps with pressure recovery to provide a smooth flow.
An optional heat slug (HP-97) will provide the thermal performance for devices or heat sinks under test for thermal analysis. The heat slug is mounted flush with the surface, so there is no dimensional change to the objects under test.