Aerodynamic Testing: PIV in Wind Tunnels
Aerodynamic testing is often the key to success in car racing and also for transport vehicles to achieve the best fuel economy. Multidimensional and often time-resolved Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements are applied in wind tunnels to balance aerodynamic shape with automotive styling and to reduce wind noise (aeroacoustics).
LaVision’s FlowMaster PIV systems provide real-time and accurate flow field measurements, support remote measurement control including flow field scanning in all directions and data synchronization with other wind tunnel test parameters. This guarantees short development times avoiding costly wind tunnel down-times.
Time-Resolved 3D Flow Field Imaging in a Wind Tunnel for Full Scale Automotive Testing
Time-resolved 3D flow fields have been successfully measured behind a serial car in a large wind tunnel at Volkswagen. The field-of-view was 2 m x 1.6 m with a light sheet thickness of 0.2 m. The air flow was seeded with 0.3 mm in diameter Helium-filled soap bubbles applying seeding rates of more than 2 million bubbles per second operating 60 seeding nozzles.
Four high-speed cameras recorded the 3D wake flow at wind speeds of 60 km/h and 120 km/h, respectively. A high-speed laser was used for illumination. LaVision’s Shake-the-Box time-resolved 3D-PTV technique was applied to calculate the time-resolved 3D flow fields.
- High level of automation – ease of use
most accurate PIV software combined with fast processing
- GPU processing for real time results
- Adaptive PIV for ease of use combined with highest precision
- Unique calibration techniques
system expansion for increased measurement capabilities
- Deformation and strain measurements
- Fluid-Structure Interaction
- 3D-PIV, BOS
extensive PIV and wind tunnel knowledge including F1-tunnels
On-road testing for 3D wake flow measurements
For on-track measurements under real environmental conditions, our FlowMaster systems can be set-up directly on site in a concept called Ring-of-Fire (originally developed by the Aerodynamics Group at TU Delft).
This enables the aerodynamic characterization of the complete wake of the car under conditions not producible in a classic wind tunnel. Another benefit of this Ring-of-Fire method is that it is independent of the vehicle and therefore no special preperations are required.
Measurements can be performed with high spatial and temporal resolution and with short acquisition time (approx. 1 sec/run).
