In December 2009, the physics department acquired a 12"x12" open-circuit, subsonic wind tunnel from the University of Minnesota Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics. This tunnel will serve as one of the three main components of the fluid-diagnostics laboratory in the Bethel University Physics Department (along with a flow visualization water tunnel and a Mach 3 shock tunnel). These pieces of equipment have a major role in the undergraduate Applied Physics and Engineering Science programs of Bethel including supporting the lab component in the PHY420 introductory fluid mechanics course, a variety of senior research projects, and summer student/faculty research supported by the Minnesota Space Grant.

The wind tunnel has been retrofitted with a new motor and variable speed drive system. This enhanced electrical/mechanical system now allows the wind speed to be finely adjusted to whatever speed is required for the experiment, making the wind tunnel better than it was originally designed to be. The Physics Department is extremely grateful for the work done by the Facilities Management department to make this possible. An ongoing undergraduate research project is directed towards the development of a LabVIEW interface that will allow for computerized control of all aspects of the tunnel operation, including data acquisition and instrument control.