Go with the flow
A flow visualisation and measurement technique aimed at helping car makers increase the efficiency of their aerodynamic designs has been developed by Nuneaton-based automotive specialist, MIRA.
MIRA’s approach allows aerodynamicists to visualise the airflow and match this to their modelling predictions and test results. The system uses motion capture cameras (pictured below) and helium-filled bubbles to provide large-volume flowfield mapping in their Full Scale Automotive Wind Tunnel.
According to the company, this allows car makers to increase their efficiency and produce less CO2 by reducing vehicle drag.
The visualisation technique measures the airflow in real time and processes the data in the same virtual environment used for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation.
Angus Lock, head of aerodynamics at MIRA, said: ‘One of the challenges for aerodynamicists is the fact that air is invisible, so you can't easily ‘see' what is going on.
'Wind tunnels detect forces like downforce and drag, but never explain how those forces are generated.
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