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Hey All,

Does anyone know if there are a collection of wind tunnel studies on  
visitor impacts of "wind tunnel" use?  It would be best if it were  
across various institutions. (I haven't done a search.)

We've done wind tunnels in various ways over the years and they've  
been technology dependent from an approach standpoint.  Neutrally  
buoyant, helium filled bubbles sounds like a very cool tool and  
exhibit in themselves.

We don't have much on the floor now, though we do have a number of  
popular "air moving" exhibits.  We've switch over to water flow  
troughs by in-large to show streamlines and vortices, and a wide  
range of visitors enjoy getting their hands wet, but extending their  
observations to other fluids (like gases) is probably problematic: a  
small step in knowledge that may or may not add to other experiences.


On Mar 25, 2007, at 11:18 AM, Kathy Krafft wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> Hi all--
>
> We have a unique wind tunnel exhibit where you can actually SEE the  
> the airflow as tiny 1/8" bubbles flow in a  around a wing tip or  
> model space shuttle, around model buildings, study how corn is  
> pollinated, etc. with some good lights in the chamber.
> Visitors are given an assortment of landscape structures (fake  
> trees, different perforated walls, hedges, etc.) they can put into  
> the exhibit, with a challenge to reduce the wind at an outdoor  
> model arena .
>
> The bubbles are filled with helium, which makes them neutrally  
> buoyant so they follow the wind flow.  Generating the bubbles takes  
> a carefully machined device, and special Bubble Solution.  The  
> bubble-generating equipment was developed by
>
> www.sageaction.com
>
> You can see our exhibit in action about 2/3 of the way through a  
> quicktime movie about our traveling exhibition called "Tech City" -- 
> look for "Catch the Wind" with a kite graphic for the title:
>
> http://www.sciencenter.org/exhibits/d/techcity.mov
> http://www.sciencenter.org/exhibits/exhibitionsforrent.asp
>
> Kathy Krafft
> Exhibit Projects Director
> Sciencenter
> Ithaca, NY
> 607-272-0600 ext 25
>
>>> ******************************************************************** 
>>> ***
>>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I am interested to know how many of you have wind tunnel exhibits  
>>> and  if so, what do you have visitors do and what age groups are  
>>> they  targeted to?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Anna
>>> __________________________________
>>> Anna Grace
>>> Exhibit Coordinator
>>>
>>> Explorit Science Center
>>>
>>>
>
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Charles Carlson
Director of Life Sciences
The Exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123

tel: (415) 561-0319
fax:(415)561-0370
[log in to unmask]



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