A Comparison of the Ground-Plane-Suction and Moving-Belt Ground-Representation Techniques

Wind-tunnel tests with various model cars of around 1:5 scale have shown that results similar to those recorded with a moving-belt system can be obtained with a fixed ground-plane with distributed suction. In a few cases, differences were found between drag and lift measurements made with the two ground-representation methods. Some of these differences could be attributed to the lack of wheel rotation with the suction ground-plane.

The fixed ground-plane with distributed suction and provision for wheel rotation is therefore proposed as a more convenient alternative to a moving-belt system for full-scale testing.