2025 and Beyond: Major Upgrades
Mitchell Hall building will bring major upgrades to the Stability Wind Tunnel
After spending its entire life at Virginia Tech in Randolph Hall, the Stability Tunnel is preparing for major upgrades as part of the Mitchell Hall project, which will replace Randolph Hall (the building currently housing the facility). The new building is focused on experiential learning and the wind tunnel will play a major role in that aspect.
Upon completion, the wind tunnel will remain in its current location and will be completely enclosed inside Mitchell Hall which will spurn major upgrades including a heat exchanger (to replace the existing air exchange tower) , and a completely new fan system (including motor and drive). The heat exchanger will allow the facility to operate at a constant temperature of 20oC year-long, while the new fan will expand the top speed of the facility while maintaining its acoustic and aerodynamic qualities.
Demolition of Randolph Hall is scheduled to start in late Q1 2024. The facility is expect to experience a downtime period of 9-10 months during which it will undergo some internal renovations and upgrades. An interim building will be constructed during that time so that in Q1 2025, the facility will re-open and become operational throughout the construction of Mitchell Hall, until Q4 2027. At that point, a second shutdown will be necessary to complete the inclusion of the facility inside Mitchell Hall while implementing the major upgrades (the heat exchanger and a new fan, motor, and drive system.)
