Wind tunnel + dyno = as real as you can get
After spending an unhealthy amount of time around a dyno in recent weeks (more on that soon), the benefits of such testing is hardly lost on those of us looking to eek out every last ounce of propulsion potential. But they don't tell the whole tale. Neither do wind tunnels for that matter, as even air traveling upwards of 200 MPH doesn't accurately reflect real world conditions. Enter Haas CNC Racing.
The NASCAR team, owned by Gene Haas, worked with Jacobs Engineering to develop a combination rolling road/wind tunnel that uses a steel belt to run the team's vehicles up to 180 MPH, while at the same time, gaining readings from each individual wheel. Coupled with wind tunnel technology, the system can not only get the car's wheels spinning, but can also thrust 2.85 million cubic feet of air over the vehicle every minute.
According to our friends at Jalopnik, the facility is due to open sometime this year and it will be available to rent to well-funded teams. Be sure to click on over to see another pic that gives you a better idea of the size of the Haas/Jacobs creation.
[Source: Haas CNC Machining Magazine via Jalopnik]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Dan 10:19AM (4/17/2007)
This type of device is usually called a sanding belt by its users. I've seen smaller ones in student wind tunnels; this thing is enormous.
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felipe 10:21AM (4/17/2007)
does that look amazingly unsafe or is it just me.
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chuck goolsbee 10:29AM (4/17/2007)
Last instruction to the driver: "No matter what you do, DO NOT hit the brakes!!!"
--chuck
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Bob-o 11:04AM (4/17/2007)
Yeah, is the car not tethered? That looks like a disaster in the making.
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barm 11:05AM (4/17/2007)
Come-on - people, please... this cannot be real.
Surely the complete lack of stapping securing the car is a BIG sign of obvious fakeness - plus - it's the least streamlined wind-tunnel I've ever seen. Also,why combine wind tunnel with a rolling road in the 1st place - I can't believe that having the wheels turning makes that much difference to the aero-dynamic performance of a vehicle !! I've seen many wind tunnels used by motor sport companies in my time and NONE of them look even close to this. I've also seen many rolling-roads and again ALL of them strap the vehicle to the machine to prevent accidents...
Or maybe I'm totally wrong and these guys are THAT mad !
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Quattrofan 11:09AM (4/17/2007)
...yeah, Nascar is cutting edge
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mlucas2006 11:09AM (4/17/2007)
That looks incredibly unsafe. I guess tie downs would interfere with the whole point of wind tunnel testing, though. You just have to be very careful not to accelerate or brake too hard.
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Dodge 11:30AM (4/17/2007)
Try not to bash things you know don't have all the facts about. Its completely tethered on both sides of the car, with cable strong enough to hold it even if the rear end gear were to lock up and seize. They went over this on tv already, and the car is remotely controled ed there is nobody in that room if something does happen to go wrong in what is essentially a bunker, thats not its final location they are just testing the dyno portion, it goes into their unfinished wind tunnel.
Don't discriminate against technology just because its nascar related, im sure F1 teams have extremely similar tactics
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spdracerut 11:31AM (4/17/2007)
It actually does look like the car is secured... by two wire looking things ont the passenger side.
And that thing is not in a wind tunnel; it's most likely just a test of the 'rolling road' part.
And yes, having a rolling surface in the wind tunnel is invaluable. We're not only talking about the aerodymanics of a rotating wheel (heck, think of a fan blade spinning at a 1000 rpms or so), but also the intereaction of the air relative to the road and car. In the 'real world', the speed of the air relative to the ground is nearly zero. If you used a wind tunnel without a rolling surface, you'd get significanly different effects at the interface between the 'road' and wind.
If you want to check out some serious wind tunnels, look at the ones used by F1 teams.
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F451 11:38AM (4/18/2007)
I love it! Talk about gathering critical data. The main caveat is unfortunate: "...the facility is due to open sometime this year and it will be available to rent to well-funded teams." Too bad as others could receive a great deal of benefit from this treadmill.
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doglet 1:09PM (4/17/2007)
some of the more advanced f1 windtunnels use similar floors. because of the downforce, the low pressure under the car will actually suck the belt upwards so they have to have fans under the moving floor to prevent catastrophic failure.
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Guenther 12:48PM (4/17/2007)
You can see the tie downs on the left and right of the car, however lining the car up correctly has to be a huge pain. I wonder if they used a standard Dyno vendor for this, or if it was all their own development(wasn't us, I'd have heard about it). Also, what is used a counter roller under each wheel?
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VW-Guy 1:02PM (4/17/2007)
It looks like a hoot! I'd give it a go, I figure if these cars can slam into a wall at 190 MPH, it'd do OK being thrown off of the belt. Sign me up!
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Billy 1:32PM (4/17/2007)
Please, someone tell them to get that ladder out of there before they turn on the fan, it could save a life!
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TuuSaR 3:24PM (4/17/2007)
Rolling windtunnel floor is must for any serious F1 team.
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MosquitoControl 3:33PM (4/17/2007)
Billy, look at the wheels - it's already running in that picture.
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adelossa 5:53PM (4/17/2007)
Great, now we can surely know if the plane will fly or not.
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MikeW 7:37PM (4/17/2007)
But a wind tunnel does not really simulate the real world. In the real world you make you own hole in stationary air. Moving laminar air, it simulates what would happen if you park, and a hurricane just happens to come through.
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Derek 11:27PM (4/17/2007)
Moving laminar air is a great simulation of a car moving through still air. Relative speed and direction is all that matters. The air doesn't 'know' if you are moving or it is. Try telling the aircraft industry that wind tunnels are not accurate!
Regarding the wheels and aerodynamics, take a good look at the wheels of other cars next time it rains. Tires generate a huge amount of turbulence and you can see it in the great amount of spray coming off the tire, especially near the top. Remember that the top of a rolling tire is going 2x the vehicles speed so there is a big difference between still and rolling there.
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Matt 10:57PM (4/17/2007)
I've never been a NASCAR fan, but with new rules, the "car of tomorrow" design or whatever its called, Toyota in the mix, and now reading this post, NASCAR has a lot more depth than I thought it would and I found myself really enjoying watching Sunday's race at Texas. I never knew how big NASCAR really was till I saw the bleachers and how massive the crowd was. Not a single seat empty, even the infield was packed. I think I've caught a NASCAR bug. Even still, people should take pride in this sport. Its America's motorsport and is more exciting to watch than most think.
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