National Wind Tunnel Facility

Kevin Gouder Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College

Key Research Challenges

• Turbulence – “…the most important unsolved problem of

classical physics”

• Energy efficiency – The central challenge for new fluid-based systems

• Fluid-structure interaction – UAVs, VIV, shock waves

• Scalar transport – Dispersion, air-sea CO2 exchange

• Noise – Generated by transport and energy processes

• High speed aerothermodynamics – High M, transition, shock wave / boundary layer

interaction, radiation heating

Need

• ~ 150 tunnels in UK – 75 of which are in universities – 10-20 are research active

• Tunnels supported through FEC estate rate – does not reflect true running costs (e.g. space charges, capital depreciation)

• Inefficient use of facilities • EPSRC Delivery Plan: “support fewer facilities in

a more sustainable way” • Timeliness – Government funding: UKAC (initial

£60m); ATI £1bn over 7 years (from 2014); £60m UK Space Agency.

National Wind Tunnel Facility

• A network of 17 talent-focused facilities distributed across 7 universities

• Multi-sectorial research, low TRL (<3) but with aerospace focus

• Full range of Reynolds and Mach numbers • Open access for up to 25% of time • Universities are

– Clearly committed to wind tunnels – Research intensive – Prepared to demonstrate best practice

Open Access

National Importance

• UK has a world-class talent base – match this to world class facilities

• Effect of a paradigm shift for overall transformative behaviour – establishing a world-leading capability

• Cost effectiveness • Multi-sectoral appeal • EPSRC portfolio: “maintain” fluid mechanics; “grow”

energy efficiency/conversion. • Overseas comparison (all single institution)

– NRC Ottawa (6 tunnels) – IIT Kanpur (single low-speed tunnel) – NUS/DSO Singapore (7 subsonic, 2 supersonic tunnels) – National Diagnostic Facility – IIT (single low speed tunnel)

Benefits

• Enhanced UK capability in experimental aerodynamics

• Available to all UK-based researchers • Combine new capital with institutional investment • Research and researchers get high visibility • Creation of nodes of excellence

– ‘attractors’ for young researchers – establish a virtuous circle

• Economic benefits – “pull-through” to industry – “spillover” to other sectors

Added Value

• National Facility provides focus of international visibility for UK science

• Flexibility in use of facilities – more efficient use of research time

• Institutional links to CDTs – IC (fluids), Cambridge / Oxford / Loughborough (turbomachinery)

• Facilities provide focus for academia / industry national networks – e.g. Vertical Lift Network (Agusta-Westland), DiPaRT (Airbus), ESA

Sustainability & Efficiency

• New funding model – facility-specific charge-out rates addresses sustainability

• Coordination through dedicated web site: www.nwtf.ac.uk

• EPSRC / ATI engagement through CDTs, MSc scholarships

• Early stage engagement between host institution and investigators (at proposal draft)

• Ongoing resource commitment from EPSRC / ATI – subject to review

Selected Tunnels

• Low speed: Cranfield, Imperial*, Southampton*, City (transition) (Re/m < 3.3×106)

• Trans/Supersonic: Cambridge, City*, Imperial* (0.4 < M < 3.5)

• Hypersonic: Imperial, Oxford* (4 < M < 9)

• Environmental: Cranfield (ABL), Southampton* (hydroscience tank, anechoic tunnel)

• Aerospace: Glasgow (rotorcraft), Cranfield (icing)

* New University investment ~£65m

Cambridge TS1 & TS2 Operational

Cambridge TS1 & TS2 Operational

• Two identical facilities; Transonic/Supersonic; Open Return Blowdown • Ejector system for boundary layer suction in working section • Model Support: 3-component sting balance • Outputs: Forces, Moments, Pressure: 3-hole and 5-hole Pitot probes;

Velocity: 2-component LDA & PIV • Flow-vis: Shadowgraph, Schlieren, Surface Oil Flow, Liquid Crystals, Pressure

Sensitive Paint • LaVision High Speed Stereoscopic PIV • TSI 3 Component Laser Doppler Velocimetry • TSI 3D Traverse Rig

Test section

Mach Max flow speed

Re Total p Run Time

Recharge time

0.12 m × 0.2 m × 0.6 m

0.6-3.5 650 m/s 20 ×106 – 60×106 /m

146-950 kPa 30-60 s 20 mins

City University Transonic tunnel Operational

City University Transonic tunnel Operational

• Transonic / Supersonic • Model Support: Internal 5-component

sting balance (-5-deg to +20-deg alpha range, ±180-deg roll): non-operational until testing and commissioning complete.

• DAQ: multiple channel, simultaneous • Flow-vis: Shadowgraph, Schlieren,

Surface Oil Flow • Outputs: Force, Moments, Pressure • High Speed Stereoscopic PIV (NWTF) • 3 Component Laser Doppler

Velocimetry (NWTF)

Test Section size

Mach Re Max P0 Max T0 Turb. Intensity

Run Time Recharge time

0.2 m × 0.25 m ×

0.5 m

0.4 -2 Up to 20 × 106

/m

1 - 1.2 bar Ambient < 0.5%

30 secs. 20 mins.

Specialist Rigs: • Quadrant • Slotted wall and solid wall roof

and floor. • Floor mounted bump shock

generators. • Compressed air supply (under

maintenance; operational January 2015).

City University Low Turbulence tunnel Operational

City University Low Turbulence tunnel Operational

• Low-speed closed return

• Model Support: Floor mounted

• Data Acquisition: 64 channel simultaneous data acquisition.

• Outputs: Pressure and velocity. HWA.

• Flow-vis: Video, tuft, surface fluorescent oil flow

Test Section size & CR Mach Max Flow

Speed

Re Max P0 Dynamic Pressure

Turb. Intensity

0.91 m × 0.91 m × 3m 6.75 : 1

0.13 45 m/s 0.034 × 106 /m – 3.1×106 /m

Ambient up to 1.24 kN/m2

< 0.01% (up to 20 m/s)

Available equipment/instrumentation • Air blowing and suction for flow control • 3 Component Laser Doppler Velocimetry (NWTF):

non-oil based seeding under test. • HWA incl. traversing rig plus supporting data

conditioning systems • Unsteady pressure instrumentation • Plasma actuator support • Isolated vibration rig (under development) • Rotation rig with air bearings (under

development)

Cranfield 8x6 Low Speed

Cranfield 8x6 Low Speed

• Low-speed closed return • Model Support: 6-component

overhead balance on 360-deg rotating roof mounted turntable. Internal 6-component balance. 6-component under-floor balance on rotating floor turntable (±25-deg yaw). Four independent wheel drag load cells.

• DAQ: multiple channel high speed data acquisition system.

• Outputs: Forces and Moments, pressure and velocity (PIV, 4-channel HWA)

• Flow-vis: Multiple smoke filament flow seeding, high speed video, surface oil flow

Test Section size & CR Mach Max Flow Speed

Re Max P0 Dynamic Pressure

Turb. Intensity

2.4 m × 1.8 m 7 : 1

0.15 50 m/s 3.6 × 106 /m (max) Ambient up to 1.5 kN/m2

< 0.1%

Specialist Rigs • Quadrant for sting mounting • Air blowing and suction for

flow control • Rolling Road 1.2 m × 2.77 m

for airspeeds up to 45 m/s with two-stage boundary layer extraction system

• Automated active strut system for automotive models

Cranfield 8x4 Boundary Layer Tunnel Operational

Cranfield 8x4 Boundary Layer Tunnel Operational

• Low-speed closed return • Model Support: 6-component

overhead balance. Computer controlled 3-axis traverse system. 360-deg rotating floor mounted turntable.

• DAQ: multiple channel high speed data acquisition system.

• Outputs: Forces and Moments, pressure and velocity (PIV, 4-channel HWA)

• Flow-vis: Multiple smoke filament flow seeding, high speed video, surface oilflow. Hydrocarbon analyser for plume dispersion studies.

Test Section size Max Flow Speed

Re Max P0 Dynamic Pressure

Turb. Intensity

2.4 m × 1.2 m × 15 m 16 m/s up to 1.16×106 /m Ambient up to 162 N/m2

< 0.1%

Specialist Rigs • Interchangeable turbulence grids and

surface roughness elements for atmospheric boundary layer simulation

• High pressure air system (blowing and suction)

Cranfield Icing Tunnel

Cranfield Icing Tunnel

• Low-speed open return

• Flow-vis: Thermography

• Outputs: Forces and Moments, pressure and temperature

• Droplet measurement system

Test Section size Mach Flow Speed

Re Max P0 Dynamic Pressure

Turb. Intensity

0.76 m × 0.76 m 0.81m octagonal

0.4 m × 0.4 m

0.1 – 0.5 35-170 m/s

2.5 × 106 /m – 12.4 × 106 /m

Ambient up to 18.3

kN/m2

< 1%

Glasgow 9x7 Tunnel (former British Aerospace/ deHavilland wind tunnel from Hatfield, Herts) Under refurbishment: fully operational April 2015.

• Low-speed closed return

• Flow-vis systems: Smoke, video, surface fluorescent oil flow.

• Outputs: Forces & moments, pressure, velocity (Stereo PIV for high resolution over large area – up to 1m x 1m)

• Data Acquisition: 192 channel simultaneous data acquisition (16 bit) at up to 500kHz. 64 and 96 channel simultaneous data acquisition (24 bit) at up to 128kHz.

Test Section size & CR Mach Max Flow Speed

Re Max P0 Dynamic Pressure

Turb. Intensity

2.66 m × 2.1m × 5m 5 : 1

0.2 70 m/s 4 × 106 /m (max) Ambient up to 2.94 kN/m2

< 0.2%

• Specialist Rigs: – Dynamic stall – Rotor rigs – Sting support system – 6-component balance, sting and

positioning system

• High Speed Stereo PIV • Pressure scanning system • LDA system • Dantec HWA • High Speed Cameras • Pressure Sensitive Paint • 5-hole pressure probe.

Imperial 10 x 5 Tunnel under refurbishment – operational January 2016

Imperial 10 x 5 Tunnel under refurbishment – operational January 2016

• Low-speed closed return • Model Support: internal 6-

component sting mounted balance (20-deg yaw range turntable). Underfloor turntable +/-20-deg yaw

• Rolling Road: 2.1m x 1.8m rubber/fabric belt, 45m/s, water cooled, variable profile belt suction system, twin variable speed boundary layer flow control ahead of road.

• Data Acquisition: National Instruments multichannel ADC, 64 channel Pressure scanning.

• Flow-vis: Video, surface fluorescent oil flow, smoke wand.

• Outputs: Forces & moments, pressure, velocity (LDV, PIV).

Test Section size & CR Mach Max Flow Speed

Re Max P0 Dynamic Pressure

Turb. Intensity

3.14 m × 1.52 m × 9 m 3.41 : 1

0.14 (max)

45 m/s 3.1 × 106 /m (max) Ambient up to 1.2 kN/m2

< 0.15%

• Specialist Rigs: – Model motion control system (automated pitch,

manual roll and yaw) – Full atmospheric boundary layer simulation

capability. – Automated Traverse system

• Tomographic PIV System • Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence System • 3- Component Dual Probe LDA • 3D Scanning Vibrometer (1MHz) • Model Force Balance/Data Acquisition/Model

Motion Control • DTC Intium DAQ and 2x64 Channel Pressure

Scanners

Imperial Supersonic Tunnel Under construction – University investment - operational January 2016

Imperial Supersonic Tunnel Under construction – University investment - operational January 2016

• Intermittent hybrid blow-down / suckdown arrangement

• Modular working section: Fully configurable test section with variable length to accommodate range of models and facilitate tests with variable boundary layer thicknesses.

• Control system & data acquisition: National Instruments (LabVIEW) PID tunnel controller and DAQ system.

• Measurement hardware: 32 channel low speed (500 Hz) pressure, 8 channel high speed (50 kHz+) pressure, pressure sensitive paint, high speed schlieren, surface oil-flow and integrated seeding system for LDA and PIV.

Test Section size & CR Mach Max Flow Speed

Re Turb. Intensity

Run time Recharge time

0.15 m × 0.15 m × 2 m 20 : 1

0.6 - 3 600 m/s 20 × 106 /m (max) < 1% tbc 10 secs. 20 mins.

Specialist Rigs (planned)

• Seeding: Integrated, adjustable seeding system for solid (TiO2) & liquid droplet (Oil) flow seeding

• Adaptive flow control: Computer-controlled deployment of variable geometry (active) flow control devices (e.g. shock control bumps using multiple actuators using LabVIEW)

• Unsteadiness: Mechanism for generating unsteady pressure pulses upstream and downstream of test section (amplitude: 1-5 % p0, frequency range 10 Hz – 10 kHz)

• Gas injection: Test section module for moderate flow rate injection of various (Air, He, CO2, tbc) configurable (e.g. for scramjet fuel mixing studies)

Imperial Hypersonic Tunnel Operational

Imperial Hypersonic Tunnel Operational

• Intermittent impulsive facility • Large working section: Can

accommodate slender models 800+ mm in length, giving a unique (in the UK) capability for achieving high test Reynolds numbers

• Measurement hardware: 64 channel high speed (100 kHz) DAQ with potential for further 32 channels, high speed Schlieren, surface pressure, hot films, thermographic liquid crystal, PIV & PLIF (currently in development)

Test Section size & CR Mach Max Flow

Speed

Re P0 T0

Run time

Recharge time

0.6 m (diameter) × approx. 1 m

9 1500 m/s

7 - 47 × 106 /m (variable)

600 bar (max,

variable)

1140 K (max,

variable)

20 ms 1 hr

Specialist Rigs

• SWBLI: Numerous fundamental axis-symmetric rigs (e.g. compression ramp / cowl) for studies of SWBLI, with and without shock-induced separation

• Transition: e.g. Cone with roughness elements – producing laminar and transitional flows, characterisation of turbulent spots

• Cavity flows

• Optical laser-based diagnostics: Toluene-based PIV / PLIF currently under development

Imperial High speed Facilities Available equipment/instrumentation • Dantec 3-ch LDA • Micromech Traverse system • Dantec High Speed Camera for Schlieren • Optics (high quality) Low FPS Video Camera / Lenses /

Mirrors / rails / mounts / HDRecorder Camera • Aerotech / Flow Dynamics High Speed Laser PIV • Dantec Laser 3rd / 4th Harmonic capable Nd:YAG (to

produce 266nm / 355 nm light for fluorescence measurements, e.g. molecular tagging / scalar measurements etc.)

• Dantec / Vision Research Low Noise Camera for fluorescence type measurements

• Dantec / Vision Research Intensified Camera for low photon measurements

Oxford T6 Free Piston Reflected Shock Tunnel Osney Thermofluids Laboratory

T3 free piston driver

Shortened Oxford Gun Tunnel barrel

Oxford T6 Free Piston Reflected Shock Tunnel

• Free piston, reflected shock tunnel: High total enthalpy tunnel

• Working gas: Air, Mars, Titan, Venus

• Future extension of facility to shock tube mode or expansion tunnel mode • Shock tube mode allows measurements of gas kinetics/radiation post shock up to 17 km/s at 0.1 Torr air

• Operation in expansion tunnel mode allow for aerothermodynamics testing up to 12 km/s in air

Osney Thermofluids Laboratory

Test flow size

Mach Max flow

speed

Re Max P0 Max T0 Run Time

Recharge time

0.2-0.3 m diameter

5 – 10 conical nozzle with 280 mm exit diameter

Mach 6, 7 & 8 contoured with 200-280 mm exit diameter

6.5 km/s

50×106 /m

75 MPa 5,000 K 1 - 2 ms steady

1 hr.

T3 free piston driver Shortened Oxford Gun Tunnel barrel

18 m

• Specialist rigs:

– Boundary layer stability and transition

– Supersonic/Hypersonic Intake

– Supersonic combustion studies

– Free flight testing

– Thin Film Gauge sensitivity and frequency response calibration

– Pressure transducer sensitivity and frequency response calibration

Oxford HDT – High Density Tunnel Osney Thermofluids Laboratory

Barrel

Plug Valve

Oxford HDT – High Density Tunnel

• Heated Ludwieg / LICH tunnel

Osney Thermofluids Laboratory

Test flow size

Mach Max flow

speed

Re Max P0 Max T0 Run Time

Recharge time

0.25-0.35 m diameter

3, 4, 5, 6, 7 contoured nozzle with 290-350 mm exit diameter Mach 5-10 conical nozzle with

350 mm exit diameter

2 km/s (cold flow

facility)

5×108 /m

25 MPa (Heated Ludwieg)

9 MPa (LICH

tunnel)

523 K (Heated Ludwieg)

1250 K (LICH

tunnel)

Up to 70 ms

10 mins.

• Specialist rigs: – Boundary Layer Stability and Transition

– Supersonic/Hypersonic Intake

– Boundary layer separation studies

– Freeflight testing

– Aerodynamic testing

– Thin Film Gauge sensitivity and frequency response calibration

– Pressure transducer sensitivity and frequency response calibration

21 m Driver

Barrel Plug Valve

Oxford LDT – Low Density Tunnel Osney Thermofluids Laboratory

Oxford LDT – Low Density Tunnel

• Rarefied Suck Down Facility (Kn < 0.3) – Earth De-Orbit, – Spacecraft entry

• Continuous cold hypersonic flow • Free fly models and measure

aerodynamic coefficients – Magnetic suspension force balance

• 2-axis wake traverse of models • 3-axis model traverse for re-orientation

Osney Thermofluids Laboratory

Test flow size Mach Max P0 Max T0 Run Time

• Contoured Mach 6 nozzle, 30-60 mm core flow

• Mach 5-10 conical nozzle with 20-50 mm core flow

6 - 10 200 kPa 600 K Continuous

Oxford: available equipment/instrumentation

Osney Thermofluids Laboratory

Data Acquisition

• Separate NI PXI chassis, 64 channels @ 2 MHz each + 128 channels @ 2 MHz aggregate

• LeCoy 4 channel, 5 GHz oscilliscope

• In-house free flight data acquisition for 6 channels up to 20 kHz

Probe measurements

• 16 x PCB-134 pressure transducer (up to 1 MHz)

• 24 x Kulite XTL-140M (up to 250 kHz)

• 48 channels of thin film signal conditioning up to 1 MHz

• DANTEC 3 hot wire annemometer u to 400 kHz

• Advanced thermochromic liquid crystal

Actuated traverse systems for T6 & HDT

• +/- 15 deg AoA. +/- 5 deg BoA

Optical equipment

• Specialised Imaging Kirana camera (up to 5 MHz)

• Photron Mini UX-100 camera (up to 1 MHz)

• LED light source up to 1 MHz

• Focussed Schlieren optics up to 300 mm

Laser Equipment

• Laser Quantum 671 nm DPSS laser (LIGTS)

• Oxiuum low noise 532 nm DPSS laser (FLDI)

• Continuum Powerlite 8000 Nd:Yag laser (PLIF)

Southampton R.J. Mitchell tunnel Operational

Southampton R.J. Mitchell tunnel Operational

• Model Support: 6-component overhead balance with various mounting options, underfloor 2- component balance and two point motorised strut for vehicle work.

• Data Acquisition: multichannel simultaneous data acquisition. • Outputs: Forces and moments; pressure, velocity (Stereo PIV,

hot wire anemometry, LaVision Tomographic PIV, LaVision Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence).

• Flow visualisation: Smoke, video, surface fluorescent oil flow • Specialist Rigs

– Rolling road (up to 40m/s) with dual stage boundary layer suction. – Dynamic model motion and acquisition systems have been developed

previously and a new system is currently being manufactured. – Rotor rigs have been developed and used in this tunnel as well as

propeller/rudder rigs.

Test section size & CR Mach Max flow speed

Re Total Pressure

Dynamic Pressure

Turb. Intensity

3.6 m × 2.5 m × 10.5 m 5:1

0.15 50 m/s 3.64 ×106 /m

Ambient Up to 1.58×106 kPa

< 0.2%

Southampton Anechoic tunnel

• Anechoic Wind Tunnel • Acoustic: Farfield microphones and phased

microphone array • Flow visualisation: Video, surface fluorescent

oil flow. • Aerodynamic loads: Capability to measure

surface pressures and loads • Laser Measurements: Capability to perform

particle image velocimetry measurements

Test section

size & CR

Anechoic Chamber size

Mach Max flow

speed

Re (max) Total Pressure

Dynamic Pressure Turbulence Intensity

1.0 m × 0.75 m

8:1

8.15 m × 5.5 m × 4.75 m

0.23 80 m/s 5.4 × 106 /m

Ambient Up to 3.9 × 106 n/k

• Equipment & Instrumentation: – Cross-wire HWA – Chiller and heat-exhanger for wind tunnel – Model support and Traverse System – DAQ – Microphone array, kulites, arcs, mics,

preamps, holders and leads

• Specialist Rigs: – Arc of farfield microphones that can be traversed to obtain comprehensive directivity

information – Simultaneous microphone array and laser diagnostics – It will be a unique facility within the UK that is able to conduct airframe noise and

loads tests, as well as some specialist propulsive (engine) research

Under Construction; University Investment. Operational March 2015

Southampton Hydroscience Tank

• Towing and Wave Tank

• Model Support: Variety of tow posts, either fixed pitch/heave/roll. Forced motions via HPMM or VPMM for surge, sway/yaw or heave/pitch. Multi component dynamometer frame as necessary for resistance/thrust, sideforce, vertical force and moments.

• Data Acquisition: Experiment specific – multichannel minimum 250 Hz up to 250 kHz for acoustic measurements. Synchronised force/moments with video motion capture/visualisation. Also 9 degree of-freedom IMU. Surface pressures. PIV/LDV.

• Flow visualisation: Multi camera HD Video, surface die, tufts.

• Field Measurement: Underwater stereo PIV, 2-comp. underwater LDV, Pitot-static traverse.

Test section size Max Carriage Speed

Re (max) Dynamic Pressure

Runtime

140 m long x 6 m wide x 3.5 m deep with 0.5 m free board.

10-12 m/s 10 ×106 /m Up to 50 kN/m2 Varies with carriage speed

Under Construction; University Investment. Operational March 2015.

Specialist Rigs:

– Passive beach at end of tank with Active wave makers (6-10) across other end that can generate irregular sea states with max. amplitude of 0.5m for wide range of model scale wave frequencies.

– Deployable side beach to damp waves rapidly between runs

– Wave makers

– Modular instrumentation stations and fixings to walls/floor of tank

– Low speed manned and high speed unmanned carriage

– Mid length divider to provide two test spaces

– Automated carriage and test process

– Control room with multiple video feeds and live data streaming

Key Performance Indicators

1. The Number potential Users that have been in contact with the NWTF and the number of Users that actually made use of any of the facilities of the NWTF.

2. The Uptime (or Downtime) of the NWTF facilities (wind tunnels) and accompanying equipment within the period.

3. Number of extended Outages (> 3 weeks)

4. The usage of each facility expressed as i) a percentage of the whole year and ii) a percentage of the Uptime.

5. Number of User Complaints received during the period. This should be expressed as a percentage of the Total Number of User Approvals made within the period.

6. Publications using data obtained using a facility of the NWTF and its equipment.

Service Level Agreement

• The time from receipt of the Technical Annex by the NWTF Project Manager to informing a User of receipt will be less than 3 days

• The time from receipt of the Technical Annex and a response from the indicated facility's managers will be less than 14 days

• The Facility will be operational and available for use for 70% of maximum possible operational time

• The NWTF will respond to all User enquiries clearly and quickly in line with the following timescales:

– To e-mail or fax enquires within 3 (three) working days

– To telephone enquiries within 2 (two) working days

– The NWTF will respond to user complaints within 10 (ten) working days

• The NWTF will treat all proposals equally and fairly

• The NWTF will treat all Users equally and fairly

• The NWTF will uphold high standards of integrity in all operations and in contact with Users

Management & Access • Management Board: investigators:

– Prof Jonathan Morrison (Chair)

– Prof Chris Atkin

– Prof Holger Babinsky

– Prof Bharathram Ganapathisubramani

– Prof Kevin Garry

– Dr Richard Green

– Prof Peter Ireland / Dr Matt McGilvray

– + Project manager Dr Kevin Gouder

– + EPSRC (ex officio)

• Project Manager: day-to-day (tunnel time allocations) liaises with local tunnel managers

• Advisory Board:

– Mr Adrian Gaylard (Jaguar LandRover) (Chair)

– Prof Henrik Alfredsson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

– Dr Nicolas Guernion (EPSRC)

– Dr Richard Markiewicz (DSTL)

– Prof Jim McGuirk (Loughborough University)

– Mr Frank Ogilvie (ATI Aerospace Technology Institute)

– Mr Mick Simmons (Airbus)

– Prof Alexander Smits (Princeton University)

– Dr Johan Steelant (ESA)

Management & Access

• Balance uptake with economic sustainability

– External vs internal users

– Variable research income

– Research vs. commercial income

• Affiliate institutions provide

– Scheduling flexibility

– Direct links with industry

Access

• Researchers interested in making use of one of the facilities to open a dialogue with NWTF personnel at an early stage of the proposal formulation. – This ensures the best facility and equipment are

identified and facility time required pre-booked.

• A Technical Annex (downloaded from the website) completed and sent to admin@nwtf.ac.uk – The proposal is not assessed – this is the

responsibility of the funding agency. – Meetings between researcher and facility held to

discuss details and a mutual decision is made on whether to go ahead.

• IP identified and recorded at an early stage. • Non-disclosure agreement signed between

researcher and NWTF.

Progress Update

Grant start

Jan 1st 2014

Jan 9th 2014

Inaugural Management

Board meeting

Project Manager

start

March 17th 2014

July 23rd 2014

ToR for Management and Advisory

Boards

Website launch

Service Level Agreement

Technical Annex

Facility visits

Feb 3rd 2015

1st Advisory Board

Meeting Imperial College

London

Most of facilities received equipment, commissioned it,

and are in the process of agreed refurbishment

Progress Update

Mid-term review: 2.5 years

• Balance of Facilities

• Balance of Usage

AB Meeting

AB Meeting

AB Meeting

Jan 1st 2014

Jan 1st 2015

AB Meeting

Jan 1st 2016

Jan 1st 2017

Jan 1st 2018