Designing and testing aerodynamic vehicle parts is a big challenge for motorsport engineers worldwide. And although computer simulations have developed continuously over the past years, design validation still takes place in the wind tunnel. The hands-on experience is unmatched in verifying simulation data and gathering valuable aerodynamic information for the final goal of winning the race. Shortening the time for representative prototype parts with 3D printing lets you make full use of the time available in the wind tunnel.
Wind tunnel testing is an important approach used by engineers to validate calculations and improve designs by evaluating the flow of air over items such as airplanes, cars, and even clothing. Therefore models are placed in a tunnel with air flowing past them, allowing engineers to quantify aerodynamic forces such as lift and drag. Wind tunnels have been around since the mid-1700s, when inventors strove to study air movement over surfaces, eventually resulting in the first wind tunnel design in 1871 by British engineer Frank Wenham.
What factors are taken into account when wind tunnel testing?
A. Size of the object and flow conditions
In wind tunnel testing, the type and size of the wind tunnel utilized are determined by the size of the object being tested and the necessary flow conditions. Some notable testing areas for motorsport are:
Sauber Engineering Wind Tunnel in Hinwil, Switzerland
Sauber Engineering, part of the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake, has its own wind tunnel facility near Zurich. This steel-built facility features a 140-meter closed loop with a 3000-kilowatt turbine generating up to five tonnes of thrust. The wind tunnel uses model cars to simulate aerodynamic conditions under race scenarios, allowing for detailed testing and optimization of aerodynamics setups
Rail Tec Arsenal Vehicle Testing Station in Vienna, Austria
This facility offers various wind tunnels like the Large Climatic Wind Tunnel (large CWT), Icing Wind Tunnel (IWT), and Small Climatic Wind Tunnel (small CWT) for aerodynamic testing purposes.
Mercedes-Benz Aeroacoustic wind tunnel in Sindelfingen
Thanks to its excellent flow quality, very low background noise, sophisticated road simulation and high efficiency, the new aeroacoustic wind tunnel at the Sindelfingen Development Center is one of the most efficient facilities in the world. Speeds of up to 265 km/h can be reached and evaluated.
B. Speed regime category
For Motorsport applications only subsonic wind tunnels come into consideration, while the transonic and supersonic wind tunnels are usually used in aerospace.
Subsonic
In subsonic wind tunnels (M < 0.8)(<987,84 km/h), compressibility effects can be ignored as the airflow is below the speed of sound. To reach high velocities, the test section's cross-sectional area is usually tiny.
Transonic
Transonic wind tunnels (0.8 < M < 1.2) operate at speeds approaching or equal to the speed of sound. Testing at transonic speeds is difficult due to shock wave reflections off the tunnel walls.
Supersonic
Supersonic wind tunnels (1.2 < M < 5.0) handle airflow that exceeds the speed of sound, resulting in severe compressibility effects. These tunnels frequently use nozzles to constrict and then diffuse the flow in order to achieve supersonic speeds in the test section.
C. Instruments to measure aerodynamic forces
Force Balances
These are special equipment that put models in wind tunnels and directly measure the lift and drag forces operating on them. The force balance generates signals linked to the model's forces and moments, which are critical for aerodynamic analysis.
Diagnostic Instrumentation Devices
Examples include static pressure taps, total pressure rakes, laser Doppler velocimetry, and hot-wire velocity probes. These equipment offer diagnostic information about the airflow surrounding the model, which helps engineers understand how air moves through and around the model in wind tunnel experiments.
Flow Visualization Devices
Common tools include smoke generators, which introduce smoke into the wind tunnel to visually represent airflow behavior. Tufts, which are small strings attached to the model's surface that indicate airflow direction and movement. Flow-vis paint, which is a mixture of colored pigment and oil applied to surfaces that highlights airflow patterns as the vehicle moves. Schlieren imaging systems that can visualize shock waves in compressible flows, providing insights into shock wave shapes and locations. Laser sheets on the other hand are used to illuminate particles or smoke in the airflow, enhancing the clarity and accuracy of airflow pattern visualization in wind tunnel testing.
What are the benefits of 3D printing in wind tunnel applications?
Time Reduction
Along with the effectiveness of the wind tunnel comes a high demand and oftentimes short time windows for the usage of these systems. With the reduced time from concept to product enabled by 3D Printing, quick design iteration is possible to achieve the desired results. So instead of worrying about the production method of the product you can put your full focus on the design.
Lower Investment
In addition to that the low initial investment for representative models which are ready for testing is unrivaled compared to conventional production, giving you the financial freedom to iterate multiple designs.
Increased Design Complexity
Finally, the most important beneficiary of using 3D Printing for aerodynamic vehicle parts is the design complexity. With expanding the shape-, hierarchical-, material- and functional complexity, weight reduction, functional integration or superior aesthetics will give you the leading edge over the competition.
What are the different applications as to how 3D printing can be utilized for motorsports with wind tunnel testing in mind?
Customized Aerodynamic Components
Motorsport teams use 3D printing to build unique aerodynamic components for wind tunnel testing. Specific examples include brake duct inlets that optimize airflow for brake cooling, rear-wing flaps made with lay-up tools for increased downforce, engine pistons made with metal 3D printing to reduce weight without sacrificing strength, roll hoops with lightweight lattice designs for driver safety, and brake pedals with intricate spider web-like structures for weight reduction and structural stability. 3D printing enables faster exploration of design choices while ensuring optimal performance during aerodynamic testing.
Tooling for Wind Tunnel Models
Motorsport teams can use 3D printing technology to manufacture custom tooling, jigs and fixtures that exactly fits the particular shapes and requirements of their aerodynamic components, increasing the precision and efficiency of wind tunnel tests. Furthermore, 3D printed tooling provides flexibility in design iterations and rapid prototyping, allowing teams to optimize their testing methods and attain greater aerodynamic performance in the competitive realm of motorsports.
Spare Parts Production
In the context of wind tunnel testing, 3D printing is used to swiftly and affordably generate spare parts for wind tunnel models. 3D printing ensures that motorsport teams can effectively maintain their testing equipment and avoid downtime during critical testing phases.
What materials do we recommend for wind tunnel testing?
Somos® PerFORM™ from Stratasys® - Printed on the Stratasys® Neo®800 / Neo®450
Somos® PerFORM™ is a stereolithography material from Stratasys®, which has been developed for strong, stiff, high temperature resistant composite parts. Due to its detail resolution and stiffness, it is the optimal choice for representative prototype parts for wind tunnel testing.
Parts created with Somos PerFORM™ have the lowest viscosity of any composite stereolithography material, making them faster to build, easier to post-process, superior in sidewall quality, and providing unrivaled detail resolution. Somos® PerFORM™ is a ceramic material with extremely high heat tolerance and rigidity.
The Stratasys® Neo®800 and Neo®450 were designed with the customer in mind for reliable, gold standard SLA 3D printing. Using the Somos® PerFORM™, produce dimensionally accurate parts with exceptional sidewalls and crisp feature resolution, resulting in a 50% reduction in finishing time.
Somos® PerFORM is a high-performance Stereolithography material, specifically designed for applications that require strong, rigid, and heat-resistant composite materials. It offers very high detail resolution and is ideal for demanding projects such as wind tunnel tests, high-temperature testing, and the production of tools and automotive panels.
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ST-130 from Stratasys® - Printed on the Stratasys® Fortus® 450mc
Stratasys® ST-130 filament is a soluble 3D printing material that is primarily used to create composite elements such as pipes, elbows, and ducts using sacrificial material. ST-130 is used in the motorsports sector and wind tunnel testing as soluble cores/sacrificial molds for composite tooling. The procedure entails printing a mold form with ST-130, wrapping the composite material around it, curing it, then submerging the part and mold in a solution bath. This dissolves the ST-130 sacrificial material, leaving only the final hollow composite portion.
ST-130 is autoclavable and frequently used with a triangle fill pattern to improve quick dissolving, increase printing speed, and save materials. It is especially useful for creating sophisticated hollow composite molds, which would normally need multi-part clamshell molds, resulting in seams in the finished product. ST-130 enables the production of seamless one-piece goods in a single manufacturing process.
The Fortus® 450mc provides precise, dependable performance, allowing you to revolutionise supply chains, speed manufacturing, and save production costs. Its proven reliability and capability to use the ST-130 makes it a trusted 3D printing solution for manufacturers in the motorsport sector among other sectors.
ST-130 is a soluble 3D printing material. It’s main use is for making sacrificial 3D printed composite tools for hollow core parts like tubes, manifolds and ducts. The dissolvable ST-130 filament is printed to form a mold in the shape of the final desired part. The composite material is then wrapped around the mold and cured. After cure, the part and mold are immersed in a solution bath, dissolving the ST-130 sacrificial material, leaving the finished hollow composite part.
ST-130 is capable of autoclave cure and is typically used with a standard triangle fill pattern to promote fast dissolution, optimize build speed and conserve material. It’s particularly advantageous for making complex hollow composite shapes, which would normally require multipiece clamshell molds that produce seams in the part. Molds made with ST-130 let you create seamless, single-piece parts in one lay-up operation.
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FDM Nylon 12CF (Carbon Fiber) from Stratasys® - Printed on the Stratasys® Fortus® 450mc
FDM Nylon 12CF (Carbon Fiber) from Stratasys® is a strong thermoplastic filament reinforced with chopped carbon fiber, ideal for use in motorsports and wind tunnel testing, among other things. In motorsport, this material excels at generating lightweight yet durable components like fixtures and production parts, with remarkable stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio, allowing it to efficiently replace metal parts.
For wind tunnel testing, FDM Nylon 12CF is important for making exact models that effectively simulate aerodynamic conditions. These models are critical for testing and improving aerodynamic designs of motorcycles. With its high strength, stiffness, and lightweight qualities, FDM Nylon 12CF is an excellent material for creating strong tooling, functional prototypes, and select end-use parts for wind tunnel testing applications.
The Fortus® 450mc provides precise, dependable performance, allowing you to revolutionise supply chains, speed manufacturing, and save production costs. Its proven reliability and capability to use the FDM Nylon 12CF (Carbon Fiber) from Stratasys® makes it a trusted 3D printing solution for manufacturers in the motorsport sector among other sectors.
FDM Nylon 12 Carbon Fiber (Nylon 12CF) combines Nylon 12 and chopped carbon fiber to achieve the highest flexural strength and stiffness-to-weight ratio of any FDM material. Nylon 12CF also provides a cleaner carbon fiber additive process than SLA with equivalent strength properties.
Lightweight Strength.
The strength and rigidity to replace metal in certain applications. Replace heavy metal tools with lighter, ergonomic carbon fiber FDM tools. Validate designs faster with carbon fiber functional prototypes instead of costly and time-consuming metal prototypes.
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Somos® WaterShed® Black from Stratasys® - Printed on the Stratasys® Neo®800
Somos® WaterShed® Black, a cutting-edge stereolithography material from Stratasys®, is specifically created for applications such as wind tunnel models due to its excellent qualities. This material has a unique mix of stiffness, dimensional stability, and great detail resolution, making it an excellent choice for producing precise and long-lasting wind tunnel models. Somos® WaterShed® Black's exceptional moisture resistance ensures that these models can withstand the rigorous conditions of wind tunnel testing, giving accurate aerodynamic performance data.
When used for wind tunnel models, Somos® WaterShed® Black on the Stratasys® Neo®800 3D printer speeds up the production process by up to 50% over conventional black SL resins. This efficiency not only saves time, but also improves model quality. Furthermore, the material's truer black color avoids the need for post-processing activities like painting, resulting in a professional finish that saves time and money.
The Stratasys® Neo®800, serves as an ideal solution for creating small to large-sized models. Using such a machine to print the Somos® WaterShed® Black from Stratasys® allows you to quickly produce large-format SD and HD wind tunnel models with fine resolution and intricate, small details.
Somos® WaterShed Black is a stereolithography resin with similar properties and processing methods to Somos® WaterShed XC 11122 that produces stiff, durable parts in true black color without the need for painting.
With its improved formulation, Somos® WaterShed Black has up to 50% faster processing speeds compared to other black materials and offers minimal rework and more consistent processing over time.
Somos WaterShed Black also offers excellent resistance to moisture and chemicals.
ScanControl+ Ready
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xCERAMIC3280 from Nexa3D® also known as Ultracur3D® RG 3280 from BASF - Printed on the Nexa3D® XiP Pro
xCERAMIC3280 (Ultracur3D® RG 3280), a ceramic-filled resin from BASF Forward AM, has outstanding qualities that make it ideal for creating production parts for motorsports and wind tunnel testing. With a rigidity of roughly 10 GPa and a heat deflection temperature of more than 280°C, this material offers exceptional mechanical performance, which is critical for demanding applications such as motorsport.
Its high stiffness assures structural integrity and endurance in components subjected to harsh conditions, making it excellent for the production of aerodynamic components, engine components, and structural elements in motorsport. The material's capacity to remain stable at high temperatures, as well as its quick and easy printing process, make it ideal for creating elaborate wind tunnel models for aerodynamic investigation.
The XiP Pro printer from Nexa3D® is one of the ultra-fast resin 3D printers that are specifically made for the xCERAMIC3280 resin. The unique LSPc® technology of Nexa3D® allows for the rapid manufacture of high-temperature resistant components with high resolution in a matter of hours.
High temperature and high speed material suitable for components subjected to wind tunnel testing, mostly consumer products.
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Ceramic-Filled Resin with Exceptionally High Stiffness and Temperature Resistance
Ultracur3D® RG 3280 is the first composite material we are adding to our rigid product line. Due to the high loading of ceramic particles, this material has an extremely high stiffness around 10 GPa and an HDT B above 280°C.
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PA11 CF from Nexa3D® - Printed on the Nexa3D® QLS 260
PA11 CF (Carbon Fiber) is a material made from biological components (castor oil) that has outstanding robustness, ductility, and impact strength. A sustainable alternative to PA12.
When it comes to wind tunnel testing, PA11 CF's qualities shine through in the creation of sophisticated and long-lasting models for aerodynamic research. The rigidity of the material, combined with its capacity to maintain structural integrity under changing conditions, guarantees that wind tunnel models and production parts are accurate and reliable.
With an unrivaled 21-hour cycle time, the Nexa3D® QLS 260 uses a single 60 Watt CO2 laser to manufacture PA11 CF production components and wind tunnel models with high mechanical and thermal properties.
PA11 CF (Carbon Fiber) is a material based on biological components (castor oil), which is characterized by exceptional robustness, high ductility, and impact strength. A sustainable alternative to PA12.
A good material for laser sintering, also particularly suitable for manufacturing durable parts such as hinges.
Properties：
-High elongation before breaking-Elastic and very impact resistant -High formability (e.g. hinges) -High insensitivity, e.g. to chemicals, detergents, greases -High pliability -Can be used for skin contact applications
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McLaren Racing - Using 3D printing to get the edge - on and off the track
The ‘formula’ behind Formula One is a series of complex rules and regulations that must be adhered to by the competing drivers and teams. The rules frame a technological window within which each team must produce the fastest car,
all within a maximum permissible budget.
These regulations create a fiercely competitive landscape where fractions of a gram here, a micron or two there, and the overarching speed of development separate podium finishers from the ‘also rans’.
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BAC launched the next generation of its world-renowned Mono single-seater at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2019. BAC partnered with DSM to co-develop 3D printing applications used in the manufacturing of the Mono, to create a cutting-edge, more organic and lighter design.
3D printing offered BAC significant advantages that included freedom to produce prototype parts with sinuous, organic designs, and considerable weight savings that could not be achieved with traditional methods of manufacturing.
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One3D - 3D printing lens prototypes for the automative industry
3D printed lens prototypes are the latest innovation in automotive lighting system applications. One3D uses them for companies including HELLA, Varroc and MSV Elektronika rail vehicle parts. The companies use the lenses as a visual aid to confirm designs before going into large-scale production.
Companies are moving away from the high lead times and production costs of PMMA and turning to 3D printing to produce new lens design prototypes for future development and innovation concept products.
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Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing - Gaining engineering speed and performance with the QLS 230
Racing in IndyCar is highly demanding on the brake system. The vehicles on track can regularly see temps reaching 900°C or higher which must be cooled down before the next application.
The brake system has ducts that force air into the rotors and calipers when running so the heat can be dissipated. The issue is when the car stops the brakes heat soak. Keeping the brakes cool while in the pits is imperative to maintaining the integrity of the brake system. The fans must be easy to install and remove to keep in line with the very tight schedules demanded of the team during the sessions.
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Ducati - Additive Manufacturing of the tank heat shield of the Ducati PanigaleV4 R Superbike
The world of motorsport is one of the most driving forces for innovation where new performances can make the difference between a first and a second place. Ducati Corse was looking for a new solution capable to help them validate their designs with robust and repeatable 3D printing technology to speed up the design phases of functional prototypes and finished parts.
The goal was to drastically reduce the time between design and track tests, ensuring mechanically performing parts even at high temperatures.
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