Hyundai Full Scale Aero-acoustic Wind Tunnel

A new Hyundai Aero-acoustic Wind Tunnel (HAWT) has been opened in the Nam-yang Technical Center of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) since August 1999. This wind tunnel has a 3/4 semi-open jet test section and a closed circuit in order to improve aerodynamic and wind noise and thermodynamic characteristics of vehicles. The HMC technical center had started the feasibility study of full-scale wind tunnel in 1995, to improve the aerodynamic characteristics and to meet fuel consumption regulations. The main purpose of this facility is conduct various kinds of tests on customer driving conditions, including aerodynamic and aero-acoustic tests and engine cooling simulations, etc. The technical specification was made on the basis of HMC engineers' experience of their own model scale and full-scale wind tunnels (like MIRA or DNW) during last 10 years. After two years of feasibility studies, a basic design, detailed design work, and the on-site construction work started from spring 1997 and finished at the end of January 1999. After the construction was completed, the commissioning test was started and finished at the end of July 1999. In this paper, the wind tunnel design, development procedure, technical specification, and commissioning test results are presented.