Wind of change

UK engineers are close to achieving a world first, by building a magnetic levitation system for aerodynamic testing of Formula One racing cars.

If successful, the team at Durham University will be the first to develop the technology for large-scale wind tunnels, which could significantly improve testing by eliminating the interference caused by physical supports.

The project is part of a drive to develop ever more sophisticated aerodynamic experiments for racing cars, passenger vehicles and even buildings.

The use of maglev technology in aerodynamic experiments has been attempted before, most notably by NASA, but with limited success. In the 1980s NASA built a system with the aim of using the technology in space shuttle testing, but its prototype was only able to support models in a tiny wind tunnel 150mm across, while consuming a whopping 8MW of power.

The Durham team, led by Dr David Sims-Williams, is assembling prototype systems to be installed in the university’s 40 per cent wind tunnel.