Climatic Wind Tunnel
Charger Daytona vs Dodge Charger Hellcat
Mother Nature isn't reliable...but ACE is.
The ACE climatic wind tunnel (CWT) is one of the most sophisticated of its kind in the world. It is designed to provide a multitude of industries with world-class and independent testing capabilities to validate prototype products under a wide range of climatic conditions. Climatic simulation systems include solar capabilities, rain, freezing rain, light snow and blizzards - all with wind speeds capable of 300 km/h at temperatures ranging from -40˚C to +60˚C. The ACE CWT is unique due its seven to 14.5 m² variable nozzle, which enables testing of subjects ranging from very small to extremely large, in a wide variety of wind and climatic combinations. This CWT is also the only one of its kind to have a turntable with a full-scale chassis dynamometer to enable product tests at yaw.
Sectors:
The breadth of ACE’s CWT applications are endless. They include:
- aerospace
- architectural
- athletics
- automotive
- energy and fuels
- human performance
- motorsport
- truck and transit
- unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/drones
Testing examples:
- aerodynamic testing
- heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) testing in vehicles
- physiological/cognitive tests (human trials)
- product quality control
- snow mitigation (architectural)
- thermodynamic testing
- wind turbines
Key features:
- Adjustable nozzle (7to 13m2) and long test section to accommodate a wide range of vehicle sizes and types, from small cars to Class 8 trucks and buses, with wind speeds in excess of 240 kph.
- Temperature from -40oC to +60oC and relative humidity (RH) from five per cent to 95 per cent.
- Exceptional flow quality for advanced aerodynamic simulation in thermodynamic testing.
- Low background noise level (64 dBA at 50 kph) for the detection of vehicle drive-away anomalies such as misfires, transmission hesitation, etc.
- Unique independently-powered rolls chassis dynamometer in a turntable to enable cross-wind testing.
- Solar simulation system up to 1,100 W/m2 intensity with sunrise-sunset simulation capabilities.
- Blowing rain, falling and blowing snow simulation.
- Complete suite of ancillary systems for customer vehicle operation, including hydrogen and electric vehicle compatibility.
Wind tunnel circuit:
Test section features:
Overall dimensions |
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Useable length |
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Vehicle entry clearance |
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Adjustable nozzle |
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Canopy for buses |
22 m2:
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Turntable diameter |
11.7 metres |
Boundary layer removal |
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Vehicle exhaust extraction system |
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In-chamber fuelling |
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In-chamber power |
Outlets for plug-in vehicles. |
Wind speed and thermal performance:
Full thermal control wind speed: 7 to 9.3 m2 nozzle settings.
Increased maximum wind speed: ambient conditions
Nozzle (m2) |
Wind speed (kph) |
Temperature (oC) |
7.0 |
280 |
25 |
9.3 |
250 |
25 |
13.0 |
225 |
25 |
Humidity – temperature performance
Thermal performance and flow quality:
Cooling system
- R507 primary loop with Dynalene HC-50 secondary loop.
- Total heat capacity: 500 kW at -40oC , 2100 kW at ambient.
Thermal performance
Parameter |
Set point change |
Rate |
Test condition |
Temperature |
<12°C |
0.8°C/minute |
70 to 105 kph; 32°C to 50°C |
<6°C |
0.6°C/minute |
<115 kph |
|
>6°C |
0.08°C/min |
<115 kph |
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Humidity |
20% RH |
1% RH/minute |
38°C dry bulb |
Flow quality
Parameter |
Uniformity (σ) |
Stability |
Wind speed |
1% of set point |
±0.5 kph |
Flow angularity |
0.5° |
|
Temperature |
0.3°C |
±0.2°C at velocity > 48 kph |
Humidity |
0.5°C (dew point) |
±0.5°C (dew point) |
Boundary layer displacement thickness
- δ* less than 5 mm at 0.9 m ahead of the front chassis dynamometer roll set at 90 kph, 25oC air temperature.
Background noise level: 9.3 m2 nozzle
Wind speed (kph) |
Out-of-flow sound pressure level (SPL) (dBA) |
50 |
64 |
100 |
81 |
140 |
90 |
250 |
107 |
Chassis dynamometer specifications:
Manufacturer and model |
Burke E. Porter (custom design) |
Vehicle types |
Passenger car, light and medium duty trucks, buses |
Axle configurations |
|
Roll width |
812 mm (four identical) |
Roll diameter |
1219 mm (four identical) |
Roll surface |
Tungsten carbide, aggressive finish (0.8µ) |
Clear space between rolls |
1,067 mm (identical front and rear) |
Wheelbase range |
1,600 to 5,842 mm |
Location of front fixed axle from nozzle exit plane (0o yaw) |
3,000 mm |
Location of rear fixed axle from nozzle exit plane (180o yaw) |
9,200 mm |
Normal maximum yaw angle range |
±30o |
Floor features |
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Total inertial simulation range |
907 to 9,072 kg |
Maximum axle load |
5,000 kg |
Maximum vehicle weight |
9,072 kg |
Maximum speed |
250 kph |
Motor type |
AC (vector drive duty) |
Nominal maximum power |
187 kW per roll, motoring and absorbing; 92 to 250 kph |
Base speed |
92 kph |
Continuous tractive force rating |
7,301 N per roll ; 0 to 92 kph |
Tractive force overload |
150 per cent for 60 seconds; 0 to 92 kph |
Features |
|
Configuration |
Elevator and air bearings permit removal from test section. |
Solar simulation system specifications:
- Full diurnal function with azimuth and altitude.
- Full-spectrum capability with vertical and bi-axial movement.
Manufacturer |
KHS Steuernagel |
Target size |
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Intensity range |
600 to 1,200 kW/m2 |
Intensity incidence |
0 to 52.5o |
Spectrum |
ASTM Std E-892 |
Intensity quality |
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Lamps |
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Rain and snow system specifications:
Rain simulation system
Frontal rain simulation system located at the nozzle exit.
- Up to 12 nozzles of various sizes as needed to provide adequate coverage of a given vehicle.
- Designed for 150 kph at 20°C but will operate as low as -5°C to perform freezing rain tests.
Snow simulation systems
There are two possible snow simulation configurations: frontal (blizzard) and overhead. In both cases, snow guns are used to create the snow.
Ancillary equipment
Vehicle starting power |
200 amp 12 vDC and 24 vDC |
Pressure radiator fill |
System capable of charging from a pressurized vessel. |
Gas tank and differential cooling |
Cooling water system to provide cooling during high-load tests. |
Refrigerant charging system |
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Garage bays
Three garage bays are available for use throughout testing. Garage bays come equiped with a hoist and tools.