Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2008, Windshearâs 180-mph rolling-road wind tunnel will be the first of its kind in North America, and only the third rolling road wind tunnel of its scale in existence. More importantly, it will be the worldâs first commercially available, full-scale, rolling-road wind tunnel of its type.
Windshear will operate the one-of-a-kind facility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a staff of 25. The facility will be available for hire to all motor sports teams and auto manufacturers, providing services previously available only to top Formula 1 teams...
The wind tunnel will accommodate full-scale vehicles, and provide constant airspeeds up to 180 mph, with temperatures controlled to within 1ºF. The high-tech rolling road will be 10.5 feet wide by 29.5 feet long, and be able to accelerate from zero to 180 mph in less than one minute. The âroadâ is actually a continuous stainless steel belt just one millimeter thick, and it is designed to last up to 5,000 operational hours. If a vehicle remained on the belt the entire 5,000 hours, it would âtravelâ approximately 300,000 to 400,000 kilometers (186,000 to 248,000 miles). During testing, âthrough-the-beltâ sensors measure the aerodynamic down force under each tire.
Full story here at their web site.
Full story here at their web site.
estreka says:
10:38 AM, 10/ 3/07
I had no idea such things existed.
steve_ says:
03:36 PM, 10/ 3/07
What happens if you have a tire blow-out? I keep imagining Wile E. Coyote flying through a concrete block wall....
ateixeira says:
07:40 AM, 10/ 4/07
Very cool that they can even measure the weight on each individual wheel. Imagine the aerodynamic tuning possibilities.
bennetpullen says:
11:28 AM, 10/ 4/07
It also looks like the whole thing turns so you can test high-speed aerodynamics while cornering!