Albern
Well-known member
- First Name
- Alex
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2020
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 295
- Reaction score
- 645
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Vehicles
- 2015 Chevrolet Volt, 202X Cybertruck Plaid+ (x2)
From Reddit:
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not quiteIt’s not technically a wind tunnel. I would call it a semi-controlled airflow simulator. A wind tunnel is: (1) a tunnel, (2) generally closed, (3) the airflow is highly controlled, and (4) the device is highly instrumented. The facility at Giga Austin is a mobile unit to get ad hoc measurements at manufacturing facilities rather than sending them out to a real wind tunnel. They need not be accurate as they are intended for manufacturing tweaks.
but not for aerodynamics, and instead for wind acoustics (eg testing cabin noise)!
https://media.ford.com/content/ford...ld-first-mobile-aeroacoustic-wind-tunnel.html
Which would explain also the turntable: unlike aero drag tunnels (need head-on wind only), to test wind acoustics in the cabin you’d want to know whether any external vehicle features “pick up” cross-winds to create audible nuisance
for Ford, apparently they use it in early/pre-production design phase: “sources of unwanted wind noise in early production vehicles to be identified faster and solutions developed sooner”
also explains the smoke, and why it can be done outdoors (sensors are in the cabin)
That's actually the Bug Splat Simulator.Wind tunnel testing! edit: (at least that's what i think the white tunnel is)
I hear rumors that the whole truck is a BAW here to wipe all ICE trucks off the road.That is not a wind tunnel, it is a prototype for the new, even bigger BAW (the e-BBAW). Elon said "why wipe off the water when you can just blow it off?" and the e-BBAW was born.
I wonder if this kind of test is good for a general overall real life drag coefficient.It’s not technically a wind tunnel. I would call it a semi-controlled airflow simulator. A wind tunnel is: (1) a tunnel, (2) generally closed, (3) the airflow is highly controlled, and (4) the device is highly instrumented. The facility at Giga Austin is a mobile unit to get ad hoc measurements at manufacturing facilities rather than sending them out to a real wind tunnel. They need not be accurate as they are intended for manufacturing tweaks.
see aboveI wonder if this kind of test is good for a general overall real life drag coefficient.
Nothing wrong with a little gust from the rearOr if a gust from the rear makes the CT giggle
Nothing wrong with a little gust from the rear
Especially in Bullhead City, AZ.That's actually the Bug Splat Simulator.
Required for sales in all midwest states.
@cvalue13 you are truly an engineer and a poet. I hope that they are tuning the stainless to hummm like that obelisk from Space Odyssey 2001. And like the obelisk I am strangely excited down to my primal core and drawn to it.see above
It’s not for aerodynamics
It’s for aeroacoustics
It can be outdoors and in this setup because they’re testing for whether cabin noise is generated by air across its envelope.
Which is also why it’s on a turntable:
Unlike with aerodynamics, with aeroacoustics you need to check if winds from any directions create cab noise
Like if a side gust of wind causes the BAW to suddenly start whistling the song of the @CyberGus
Or if a gust from the rear makes the CT giggle
I believe that's called a "Titter"Or if a gust from the rear makes the CT giggle
Such a device could be an invaluable tool for practical evaluation. My only quip is the name. Think of this device as a ‘dirty’ version of the former. By dirty I mean that you can be certain of a measurable result, such as a vibration, turbulence, etc., but you cannot be certain of what the cause of that result is because you weren’t in control of the environmental conditions.Would this be used to test for wind noise in isolation from road noise?
I imagine they might be difficult to differentiate in some circumstances.