variavel0=<b>Edson Del Rio Vieira</b> - delrio@dem.feis.unesp.br Unesp
<b>Carlos Cesar Aparecido Eguti</b> - eguti@dem.feis.unesp.br Unesp
<b>Emanuel Rocha Woiski</b> - woiski@dem.feis.unesp.br Unesp
<b>Abstract.</b> HWA (hot wire anemometry) is a very important tool for fluid mechanics research, and even today several industrial, aeronautical, automobile and military applications have been found for this thermal anemometer, substituting with advantages a number of traditional flow measurement ways like orifice plates and Pitot tube. Nowadays, the crescent use of HWA in practical engineering applications has reawaken the interest of mechanical engineering graduate teachers in providing the inclusion of this thermal anemometer in a laboratory class. Therefore the authors have set the intention to fully describe a practical laboratory setup for introducing HWA in a typical mechanical engineering course. To accomplish that, CTA (constant temperature anemometer) methods for laboratory classes will be presented in two parts. The first one, which is the subject of this paper, introduces the students to the HWA theory, apparatus and calibration techniques and the second part, still to follow, will be dedicated to describing some actual experiments themselves. The probe calibration is carried out in a special device utilizing tap water. This calibration apparatus produces a free jet with moderates Reynolds numbers (up to 104) and the probe is inserted into the root jet, permitting the calibration process. It is shown that the use, under adequate supervision, of a very sophisticated tool, such as hot-film anemometer, for laboratorial research application, in a mechanical engineering undergraduate course can be perfectly possible and it is highly motivating.
<b>Keywords.</b> hot-wire anemometer, hot-film anemometer, free jet, flow visualization, fluid mechanics learning.