This giant fan is the heart of the new and improved Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Said to be the most advanced academic wind tunnel in the US, it stands on the same site as the original Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel, which opened in 1938. The fan in that first wind tunnel was four metres wide and had six blades. This new one has 17 blades and a diameter of almost five metres. It’s capable of generating wind speeds of up to 370km/h (230mph), compared to the original’s 240km/h (150mph), while using less power and creating less noise than its predecessor.
The researchers at this new facility have managed to cram this bigger, more powerful fan into a footprint no bigger than that of the original Wind Tunnel building. This mind-boggling feat was achieved thanks, in part, to diffusers, screened turning vanes and specially designed tips on the fan blades, which control the air circulating around the comparatively small space.
The Wright Brothers wind tunnel at MIT 
Professor Mark Drela with the giant fan 
Work taking place in the wind tunnel