Worldwide unique standards for automobile development

The largest vehicle wind tunnel at the University of Stuttgart has been put back into operation after undergoing several months of modernisation work by the Research Institute of Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Engines Stuttgart (FKFS). Three patented world premieres are being used in the new wind tunnel. These enable real road conditions to be depicted in such a precise way like never before.

The wind tunnel as the first of its kind worldwide has a modular alternating conveyor belt system for production and racing cars as well as a flow stabiliser and a crosswind generator. The objectives of modern vehicle construction such as the reduction of CO2 emissions and the inherent noises of a vehicle as well as the increase in cost efficiency through optimisation with flow resistance and in the development process can be achieved even more easily through the new Stuttgart test and measuring facility.

On Monday, 3rd November 2014 the ceremonious opening of the modernised vehicle wind tunnel took place on the Campus in Vaihingen upon the invitation of the University of Stuttgart and the FKFS in the presence of numerous invited guests from science, the automobile industry and politics.

In his welcome speech Prof. Wolfram Ressel, Rector of the University of Stuttgart, described the wind tunnel as a high-exposure example of the tradition of great research performances by the University of Stuttgart in the field of vehicle and engine technology, “The modernised wind tunnel is just one in a series with the Stuttgart driving simulator or the vehicle test benches for different types of drive and many other high tech systems the university is able to show in order not only to be ahead with its own research in future but also to cooperate with partners from industry and science“, according to Prof. Ressel.

The Rector invited the attending industrial representative to also expand the principle of public-private-partnerships that had been so impressively demonstrated with the wind tunnel to other fields of automobile research and development work.

“It is becoming increasingly important for modern cars to reduce air resistance via improved aerodynamics. And as a politician I am well aware of how important it is to overcome resistances”, said Minister of Finance and Economics Dr. Nils Schmid.

“In the field of mobility a slight resistance means: fuel is saved through this and the range of electric cars is extended. Thus the modernised wind tunnel here at the FKFS makes an important contribution to the sustainability of the automobile location. It fits in well with the strategy of the state government of making Baden-Württemberg a pioneer in sustainable mobility.”

Prof. Jochen Wiedemann, Managing Director of the Institute for Combustion Engines and Automotive Engineering (IVK) at the University of Stuttgart and Chairman of the Board at FKFS, explained the modernisation of the wind tunnel and thanked the long standing contractual customers Adam Opel AG, Daimler AG and MTS Systems Cooperation, who made the wind tunnel and its continuous modernisation possible in the first place.

He pointed out that a total of 15 million Euros had been invested in the third modernisation of the wind tunnel and described the technical further development: “What the new inventions, that were so innovative and so important to us that we protected them with registered trademarks and three patents, meant to us was being able to predict the industrial measurement and research requirement of the future. We succeeded in portraying the reality of the road journey with our new wind tunnel technology as accurately as never before“, according to Prof. Wiedemann.

Further information:
Dr. Hans-Herwig Geyer, University Communication at the University of Stuttgart, Tel.: 0711/685-82555, Email: hans-herwig.geyer@hkom.uni-stuttgart.de
Armin Michelbach, Institute for Combustion Engines and Automotive Engineering at the University of Stuttgart, Tel: 0711/63110, Email: armin.michelbach@ivk.uni-stuttgart.de