Ford Goes Mobile with Wind Tunnel Testing

Ford Motor Co. has developed what it describes as the industry’s first portable aeroacoustic wind tunnel to help lower costs and make testing feasible at the factory level.

The patent-pending system will allow engineers to fine-tune NVH and aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles directly at manufacturing plants and development facilities. The setup also will free up time at Ford’s main wind tunnel in Allen Park, Mich., to conduct more in-depth tests of next-generation models.

The mobile system is built into two 53-ft containers that can be shipped via truck to any Ford facility in North America. Ford says the portable tunnel can be set up and disassembled in as little as six hours.

The company will debut the system at its Flat Rock, Mich., plant during the run-up to the launch of the 2017 Lincoln Continental sedan. This will allow engineers to pull early production models from the line and immediately test them and resolve issues without having to ship vehicles back and forth between facilities.

The portable test system includes aeroacoustic vanes and internal ducting to provide controlled airflow from two 16-bladed, ducted fans. Powered by a pair of 250-hp electric motors, the fans can generate 80-mph winds. A separate 40-ft container houses a small office, power distribution and controls.

Ford notes that the mobile tester costs a fraction of full-sized wind tunnels, which are as big as an office building and can run as much as $50 million. The system can detect subtle changes in noise levels but doesn’t require many of the large and sensitive instruments used to develop new vehicles at a fullsize aero lab.

Watch a video of the portable system here.