Flexible rod design for educational wind balance

Abstract

This article provides a technical description of a flexible hinge for wind tunnel rigs. For academic purposes, the device was integrated into several rod flexures to build a home-made external wind balance system. The cylindrical elastic element incorporates several notches, and the flexure linkage is able to transmit force in the main axial direction without hindering perpendicular movement. The flexural element described here is simple and easily manufactured, and can also be used with other types of wind balance. The flexure described in this article has similar functionality to those mentioned in the reference section, but has a more compact element. The project's effectiveness was demonstrated in a series of experimental comparisons of forces and moments measured on a wing using the N.A.C.A. Clark-Y airfoil profile.