Platforms
Research at LMFL relies on significant technical resources that are unique in France and are grouped into several platforms. Some of these platforms are accredited by the University of Lille, Centrale Lille or the Hauts-de-France Region.
The PLEX platform (Experimental Platform for Turbulence) is dedicated to the experimental study of turbulence in fluids. The platform is hosted by Centrale Lille in the LMFL premises on the Villeneuve d'Ascq campus.
The platform is characterised by three main activities: research, training and service provision. To this end, it has several research facilities: wind tunnels, mixers and jets. It also has a range of diagnostic tools for studying turbulence, including thermal and optical anemometry techniques.La plateforme PLEX (PLateforme Expérimentale pour la Turbulence) est dédiée à l’étude expérimentale de la turbulence dans les fluides. La plateforme est hébergée par Centrale Lille dans les locaux dédiés au LMFL sur le campus de Villeneuve d’Ascq.
The CONTRAERO platform is a regional platform dedicated to the study of aerodynamic flow control for the transport sector (road, air and naval). It brings together the large wind tunnels of the LMFL (boundary layer wind tunnel, L1, L2 and SV4), the free flight and hydrodynamic facilities of ONERA Lille, and the CME2 compressor test bench of ENSAM. The platform also includes the large wind tunnel of LAMIH (UPHF) and the micro-nanofabrication facilities of IEMN. Thanks to the regional CISIT, ELSAT and RITMEA projects, this range of facilities has been considerably expanded and has achieved a leading national and international status.
The platform covers a broad spectrum, from understanding the fundamental physics of the flows concerned, to demonstration on reduced models, including all stages of testing on simplified setups.
The shared use of the platform between the CNRS, the universities of Lille and Valenciennes, and the LMFL, IEMN, LAMIH and ONERA laboratories is governed by a consortium agreement. The platform is a unique experimental research centre in France. It also carries out studies and provides services.