All about Wind Tunnel Testing

Objective of the wind tunnel testing:

Evaluation, Benchmarking, or design validation of the performance of automotive
air conditioners under controlled operating ambient conditions representing the
extreme environmental conditions in which the vehicle may have to operate. The d
esign point of an automotive HVAC or for that matter any product is the extreme
operating point at which it may have to operate. Therefore we create a lab which
can simulate as and when required the exact set of conditions (as per our desig
n conditions). Usually the highway driving conditions are selected as the operat
ing point for the A/C system performance evaluation (Editor comment:- Though mor
e recently the idling phase of the vehicle and slow moving city traffic are prov
ing to be more critical than the highway conditions.)
1.Since the testing is done at standard conditions, results can be compared to a
historical database of vehicles. By establishing objective data in the wind tun
nel, expensive road testing can be limited to evaluating subjective issues such
as comfort.
2.Evaluate the effect of changes to major components such as compressors, evapor
ators and condensers.
3.The major objective of wind tunnel testing is objective testing of air conditi
oning, and/or heating and defroster performance.
4.Measure oil return to ensure enough oil circulates with the refrigerant back t
o the compressor.
5.Test system control components such as freeze protection, high pressure protec
tion or loss of charge protection.
6.Evaluate compressor cycle rates or variable displacement operation.
7.Conduct and document subjective comfort rides with experienced HVAC personnel.
Example of typical set of design conditions assumed globally for vehicular air c
onditioner designing is given below for reference:
1.For North America typical cooling design point is - (Ambient condition: 38C an
d 40% RH and cabin condition: 38C and 40% RH and 90 km/h vehicle speed)
2.For North America typical heating design point is - (Ambient condition: -15C a
nd 0% RH and cabin condition: 15C and 90 km/h vehicle speed)
3.The typical cooling design conditions in India are - (Ambient condition: 35C a
nd 60% RH and cabin condition: 18C and 35% RH and 40 km/h vehicle speed)
4.The typical heating design conditions in India are - (Ambient condition: -10C
and 0% RH and cabin condition: 15C and 40 km/h vehicle speed)
Wind Tunnel Design
The key to the successful application of an environmental wind tunnel is being a
ble to deliver uniform stable air to the front of the vehicle. As long as the te
mperature and humidity can be closely controlled and the testing is repeatable,
the tunnel is the most valuable A/C development tool.
There are two approaches to building a wind tunnel:
1.Very sophisticated and also expensive design with full spectrum lamps, floor,
and wall boundary layer control, etc. Advantages include being able to simulate
idle condenser performance of air dams.
2.The second alternative is to build a less sophisticated and less expensive des
ign. This latter tunnel design should meet the following criteria (using the typ
ical values of operating points).
Essential elements of wind tunnel design:

Should be wide and high enough to fit the largest vehicle expected for HVAC desi
gning and should be concluded from the current benchmark and future forecasting
of the target market and information of the wind tunnel dimensions of competitor
The vehicle should be stationed 20 inches (0.5 m) back from the rectangular nozz
le so as to balance the turbulence and laminar nature of flow.
The air should recirculation in the closed circuit tunnel
Provision of a mechanical drier to provide the makeup air (lost due to vehicle e
xhaust) to the tunnel so that the tunnel conditions are maintained through the t
esting
The nozzle should be large enough to direct the air uniformly at the full width
and height of the vehicle.
The air speed should be capable of covering the requirements for all segments of
HVAC design as per the regional target market.
The air temperature should be maintained for a given time and for the given pres
et condition as per the requirement.
The air humidity should also be maintained for a given time and for the given pr
eset condition as per the requirement.
There can not be any compromise with the uniformity of velocity, temperature and
humidity across the nozzle in both horizontally and vertically direction
Must give stable conditions for the idling vehicle. This is usually achieved by
Bypass blowers provide air through the tunnel but not directed at the vehicle.
A drive on dynamometer should be installed to provide road load for passenger ca
rs.
The dynamometer can be removed for heavy truck HVAC work since the engine is war
med to thermostat temperature without a dynamometer load.
A battery of solar lamps should be adjustable in height. It should be able to pr
ovide (1000 - 1400) W/m2 when measured at the surface of the vehicle.
Passenger Compartment Air Flow Testing Preparation for the Wind Tunnel Testing
It is essential to know the amount of air flow rate from the HVAC module going t
hrough the passenger compartment in a vehicle at various blower speed settings a
nd vehicle speeds. This test is conducted before the wind tunnel testing starts
for the A/C system performance. Approach to passenger compartment air flow testi
ng
1.In the driver side open window, install a air flow machine (Air flow machine i
s the device a combination blower/air flow measuring nozzle with a variable spee
d drive. It is usually a large standalone unit with a hose extending from the de
vice to the window
2.Usually a piece of cardboard seals in the window, the hose seals to a hole in
the cardboard, and seal the rest of the window perfectly. Also seal the rest of
the vehicle (windows, holes in firewall, door seal leaks, etc.) as well as poss
ible including the body air exhaust ports.
3.Install an air pressure tap in the vehicle referenced to the room air pressure
.
4.Run the vehicle blower at each blower speed.
5.Start the air flow machine to exhaust the air out of the vehicle and control i
ts fan speed until the pressure in the vehicle is exactly the same as the room p
ressure
6.This setting ensures that the air coming in through the vehicle blower is exac
tly the same amount as the amount being taken out of the window with the portabl
e blower/air flow measuring nozzle. Continue this testing at all blower speeds
7.Concurrently also measure the air pressure (or pressure drop with reference to
the ambient pressure) in the A/C duct work after the evaporator. From this air
pressure (or pressure drop) vs. air flow (measured in the previous bullet) curv
e, we calculate the air flow coming to the passenger compartment when running th
e A/C system in a recirculation mode.
Approach to Body leakage testing
It is also common to conduct a body leakage test. This is done to ensure that mo
st of the body leaks are sealed or to evaluate production vehicles for excessive
body leakage. The air flow test is conducted as described above with the body e
xhaust vents plugged and the air flow machine adjusted to maintain a preset pres
sure in the passenger compartment. Vehicle manufactures have guidelines for body
leakage. A typical maximum body leakage in this test at high vehicle blower spe
ed is 135 CFM
Tunnel Procedure Considerations
The testing is suggested in recirc mode because that provides the fastest cool d
own. Each setting would last about an hour because recirculation mode takes a lo
ng time to get to steady state. As the air in the cab gets colder, it is re circ
ulated and the discharge temperatures get colder. This mode is also the most dif
ficult to get consistent repeatable data. It depends on air leakage into the bod
y. If there is a lot of body leakage, hot outside air will infiltrate into the c
ab and the cool down rate will take longer. The capacity of the A/C is tested in
the outside air points in vehicles. In outside air mode, all the air going thro
ugh the evaporator comes from the outside. So these points will stabilize in 30
minutes and give a good indication of the performance of the air conditioner. Ou
tside air points are usually quite repeatable.
Tunnel vs. Road Testing
The wind tunnel testing described above is thus used to conduct the air flow mea
surement and body leakage tests, do the development work on the A/C system, get
the objective performance data (which are difficult to obtain in a road test), c
ompare the customer's vehicle against previous version and competitive vehicles,
and insure that there is nothing airflow wise or mechanically wrong with the ve
hicle when it is ready for the road test. Thus in the wind tunnel testing, objec
tive and comparative data are compiled for every vehicle tested. This saves valu
able road time and allows concentration on the subjective evaluation and finding
faults with vehicle on a trip. Also the vehicle manufacturers build up A/C perf
ormance database of vehicles which when compared with subjective evaluations and
objective data from vehicle road tests enables to establish design goals (such
as air flow, discharge air temperature, breath level temperature and head pressu
re) that would insure good A/C performance. Note that no two wind tunnels will g
ive exactly the same results in spite of simple or sophisticated wind tunnel ins
trumentation.