Meteorological Wind Tunnel

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Meteorological Wind Tunnel: 1:600 scale model of Lower Manhattan inserted into the Meteorological Wind Tunnel.

EPA's campus in Research Triangle Park houses a state-of-the-art meteorological wind tunnel for air pollution dispersion studies in both urban and rural settings. A detailed characterization of pollutant concentrations and turbulent air-flow patterns around scaled models in this controlled laboratory environment provide a better understanding of atmospheric physics and serves as a critical basis for the development of computer-based atmospheric models for predicting impacts from emissions. In the wind tunnel, both scale models of simple building geometries and models of actual cities help scientists understand the flow in and around buildings and urban street canyons, where scientists can observe complex vertical and horizontal motions such as channeling, re-circulation, and vertical venting. EPA researchers used this facility to evaluate the transport and dispersion of airborne pollutants released by the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings. Pictures of the 1:600 scale model of lower Manhattan in the wind tunnel can be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/asmdnerl/Resources/fmf.html.

Meteorological Wind Tunnel

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