Smoke generator

• US 3,964,304 A
• Filed: 04/25/1975
• Issued: 06/22/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kemp L. Parrish
• Original Assignee: Kemp L. Parrish
• Inventors: Parrish, Kemp L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Queisser, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roskos, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US05/571,895
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 73/147
• US Class Current: 73/147
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 9/04 Details

Abstract

A compact, inexpensive, efficient smoke generator employing a novel method of smoke production for use in wind tunnel testing and the like.

Claims

1. In combination, a wind tunnel for testing models in a moving airflow and a smoke generator disposed within the wind tunnel to produce smoke for visually indicating the airflow in the wind tunnel during a test comprising:

a test section in said wind tunnel containing a model to be tested;

a smoke generator positioned in said test section upstream from the model in such position as not to impede the airflow in said wind tunnel over the model including;

a. an elongated heating means,

b. a liquid conduction means in the form of a coiled tubular conduit encompassing and in close proximity to said heating means and having an inlet and an outlet, and

c. a liquid supply means supplying a smoke-producing liquid to said liquid conducting means and disposed in fluid connection with the inlet of said conduit,

whereby, during a wind tunnel test fluid is supplied to said conduit by said liquid supply means and heated by said heating means to vaporize and produce smoke that exits through the conduit outlet to become entrained in the wind tunnel airflow and pass over the test model to thereby visually indicate tunnel flow over the model.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said heating means is comprised of a variable electrical heating means having a controllable varying heat production rate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said liquid supply means is pressurized to provide an increased flow of vapor-producing fluid to said coiled tubular conduit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including insulation means encompassing said coiled tubular conduit to retain heat generated by said heater means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 and further comprising temperature monitoring means for providing a measure of the temperature of the heated fluid, said temperature monitoring means including a thermocouple attached to said liquid-conducting means and a readout meter connected to said thermocouple and remotely positioned from said tunnel test section.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said smoke-producing fluid is a silicone diffusion pump oil.