| understanding of the underlying flow structures responsible for a vehicle’s aerodynamic performance.
Angus Lock, MIRA’s Head of Aerodynamics explains: “One of the challenges for aerodynamicists is the fact that air is invisible, so you can’t easily ‘see’ what’s going on. Wind tunnels detect forces like downforce and drag, but never explain how those forces are generated. To reveal the flow structures at play you need to use flow visualisation. This revolutionary technique allows us to get a really good view of the flow field, enhancing both CFD studies and wind tunnel development.”
The key advantage of the new technique is the large measurement volume. Existing techniques such as: wool tufts, fluorescence paint, smoke wands, Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) or Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), only detect what’s happening on a surface or in a small slice of the flow. MIRA’s system captures the entire test section of the wind tunnel in 3-D. |
