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Running an experiment

The golden-path sequence. If the run does not follow this pattern, stop and re-read the Pre-run checklist.

1. Pre-run checklist complete

All items in Pre-run checklist are checked off. Stop-path verification done if this is the first run of the day.

2. Start the laser (if flow-vis)

  1. Confirm 12 V on the power supply.
  2. Enable the supply's output.
  3. Confirm the laser sheet appears in the test section and terminates on the dump surface.
  4. Confirm door placard shows laser in use.

3. Start the tunnel at a low RPM first

Bring the tunnel up gradually; do not jump to high RPM from idle.

  1. In ADCL WinSoft, Quick Tunnel panel: set the slider to 100 RPM (or whatever your run plan's lowest point is).
  2. Press Apply Setpoint. The drive accepts REF1.
  3. Look at the test section one more time. Is it clear of people and tools?
  4. Press Start Tunnel. The drive transitions through the start sequence. The motor spins up.
  5. Confirm the Speed RPM readout settles at the commanded value (100 RPM).

4. Start the DAQ (if recording)

  1. Confirm the footer shows DAQ: cDAQ1.
  2. In the right column, press Start DAQ.
  3. The Signals tab shows live readings.
  4. The CSV is being written to E:\Wind_tunnel\ADCLWinSoft\Data\YYYY-MM-DD\….

5. Start the smoke generator (if flow-vis)

The tunnel must already be running. Smoke without airflow pools in the room.

  1. Confirm the wired remote is at your station.
  2. Press the smoke generator's ON button. A puff of smoke enters the inlet.
  3. Adjust the heater / fan settings if needed for the visualization quality you want.

6. Run the experiment

  1. Adjust the Quick Tunnel slider to each target RPM in your run plan.
  2. Press Apply Setpoint to write the new RPM. Do not press Start Tunnel again — that stops and restarts the drive.
  3. Wait for the speed reading to stabilize at each setpoint before taking data.
  4. Watch the footer for:
  5. Connected (Modbus, green)
  6. DAQ: cDAQ1
  7. No red Fault banner
  8. If a fault appears, stop the run and consult a contributor.

7. Stop the smoke generator (if flow-vis)

Before stopping the tunnel:

  1. Press the smoke generator OFF.
  2. Wait until the visible plume in the test section clears (10–20 s of continued airflow).

8. Ramp-stop the motor

  1. Press Stop Tunnel in ADCL WinSoft. The motor decelerates per the drive's ramp time.
  2. Confirm the Speed RPM readout reaches 0 and the drive keypad shows 0 Hz.

9. Stop the DAQ recording

  1. In the right column, press Stop DAQ.
  2. The CSV is finalized. Note its filename in your run log.

10. Stop the laser

  1. Disable the supply's output.
  2. Power the supply down.

11. Continue or shutdown

  • To run another experiment immediately, return to step 1 and repeat the pre-run checklist (an abbreviated version is fine if nothing in the lab has changed).
  • To end the session, follow the Shutdown checklist.

Do not, ever

  • Press Start Tunnel while the motor is already running. This stops it.
  • Reach into the test section while the motor is energized, even at zero commanded RPM.
  • Reach into the exhaust path while the motor is energized.
  • Leave the computer station while the motor is running.
  • Use AeroWare to spin the motor (its VFD path is broken; see the contributor manual).
  • Increase the laser power supply above 12 V.