Purdue University’s College of Engineering is at the forefront of innovative educational tools with its virtual wind tunnel project. The initiative, developed by faculty from the Schools of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AAE), Mechanical Engineering (ME) and Engineering Education (ENE), aims to expand experiential learning opportunities for students while supporting a growing student population.

Over the past decade, the undergraduate enrollment in Purdue’s College of Engineering has surged. ME and AAE now run the country’s largest programs in terms of student enrollment—an accomplishment that comes with challenges. In the fall 2025, ME is expecting a historic cohort of 950 sophomores into its West Lafayette program and approximately another 320 at Indianapolis. 

"There have been a lot of limitations with adapting a hands-on laboratory to very large numbers of students," says Sally Bane, an associate professor involved in the project. “That’s where we became interested in developing virtual labs to help manage the large enrollment."

The virtual wind tunnel allows students to conduct aerodynamic experiments digitally, simulating real-world conditions and measuring parameters such as velocity and pressure. By integrating computational fluid dynamics, the virtual lab provides students with interactive, realistic experiments they can manipulate on their own time, something not feasible with limited physical lab resources.

Bane says many students prefer a blended approach. 

"They don’t want it as a complete replacement," Bane explains. "That’s why we’re working on finding the best combination of virtual and physical experimentation."

The project has received critical funding from Purdue’s Innovation Hub, enabling continued development through collaborations with the university’s Envision Center. Innovation Hub managing director Beth Fines emphasizes the importance of students having access to leading-edge tools such as the virtual wind tunnel.

“The Innovation Hub’s goal is to help support the faculty in designing and implementing innovations that have the potential to broadly impact undergraduate learners at Purdue,” says Fines. “This project is a great example of how faculty are coming together in collaborative and innovative ways to overcome limitations with traditional learning environments.”

Additionally, the team recently submitted a National Science Foundation grant proposal to further research the educational impact of virtual labs. If successful, this funding will support a long-term study on optimizing virtual and physical lab integration, as well as help refine experiential learning strategies at scale.

The success of the virtual wind tunnel project is a testament to the collaborative efforts of faculty members across disciplines, as well as the support from Purdue’s Envision Center. With continued innovation and refinement, this project has the potential to revolutionize how engineering students engage with aerodynamic experiments, ultimately providing a richer, more immersive learning experience.

"The Envision Center doesn’t just take a sketch from us and make it appear on the computer screen,” Bane notes. “They’re interested and involved in trying to improve education using technology."

Student feedback about the virtual labs has been overwhelmingly positive. Those who engage with the wind tunnel as a pre-lab exercise report feeling more confident and prepared when conducting physical experiments.

The team emphasizes how rare it is for faculty at a research-intensive institution to have the time and resources to innovate in teaching. As funding opportunities expand and virtual labs become more sophisticated, Purdue’s commitment to advancing experiential education remains strong, ensuring that students receive the best possible foundation in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics.