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The China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) has completed two new wind tunnels at its test centre in Tianjin, China: an aerodynamic/aeroacoustic wind tunnel (AAWT), and a climatic wind tunnel (CWT). The AAWT incorporates design features to provide both a very low fan power requirement and a very low background noise putting it amongst the quietest in the automotive world. These features are also combined with high flow quality, a full boundary layer control system with a 5-belt rolling road, an automated traversing system, and a complete acoustic measurement system including a 3-sided microphone array. The CWT, located in the same building as the AAWT, has a flexible nozzle to deliver 250 km/h with an 8.25 m2 nozzle, and 130 km/h with a 13.2 m2 nozzle. The temperature range of the CWT is -40 °C to +60 °C with a controlled humidity range of 5% to 95%. Additional integrated systems include a variable angle solar simulator array, and a rain and snow spray system.

The Energy and Environment Test Centre (EVZ) is a complex comprising three large climatic wind tunnels, two smaller test chambers, nine soak rooms and support infrastructure. The capabilities of the wind tunnels and chambers are varied, and as a whole give BMW the ability to test at practically all conditions experienced by their vehicles, worldwide. The three wind tunnels have been designed for differing test capabilities, but share the same air circuit design, which has been optimized for energy consumption yet is compact for its large, 8.4 m₂, nozzle cross-section. The wind tunnel test section was designed to meet demanding aerodynamic specifications, including a limit on the axial static pressure gradient and low frequency static pressure fluctuations - design parameters previously reserved for larger aerodynamic or aero-acoustic wind tunnels. The aerodynamic design was achieved, in-part, by use of computational fluid dynamics and a purpose-built model wind tunnel.

The aerodynamic wind tunnel at Volvo Cars, known as the PVT, was recently upgraded to a moving ground wind tunnel to improve simulation quality. The moving ground simulation system consists of a 5-belt rolling road system (a centre belt and four wheel drive units). Flow simulation has also been improved by a new boundary layer control (BLC) system with a basic suction scoop, large distributed suction areas and aft belt tangential blowing. In addition, the wind tunnel main fan motor has been up-graded from 2.3 MW to 5 MW to provide a wind speed of 250 km/h in the full test section. Previously, 250 km/h was achieved only by installing inserts to reduce the test section area. The present paper provides an outline of the design features, philosophy of the new systems, aerodynamic calibration and commissioning results.

The GIE S2A is a complex comprising a full-scale aeroacoustic wind tunnel, a 2/5-scale model wind tunnel, and supporting infrastructure. The entire facility is a joint project of Renault, PSA Peugeot-Citroën, and the national education and research establishment, CNAM. This paper provides an overview of the history, design features and philosophy, commissioning results, and key instrumentation for the full-scale aero-acoustic wind tunnel, known as the S2A 1/1.

A description of the new Lola Cars International 50% Scale Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel is presented in the following paper, including results of the recently completed commissioning programme. The wind tunnel is a hybrid of old and new; a large part of the shell is from a retired British Aerospace wind tunnel and includes a new test leg incorporating a rolling road and high-precision overhead balance. The new wind tunnel exhibits flow quality that is better than the former British Aerospace wind tunnel.