Digital Twin Aerodynamics Model Validation for HALO Wind Tunnel

A simulation-based aerodynamics model of the Honda Automotive Laboratories of Ohio (HALO) Wind Tunnel, a three-quarter open-jet (ground plane) configuration opened in 2022 for full-scale automotive testing, was initiated to support data fusion for more accurate surrogate models in vehicle engineering programs. The objective was to demonstrate that a matched set of boundary values between the physical wind tunnel and the three-dimensional numerical model yield correct responses for several key flow field quantities, starting with the baseline empty tunnel case: (1) streamwise static pressure distribution, (2) evolution of the free shear layers downstream of the nozzle exit plane, and (3) ground-plane boundary layer development. Pressure-based measurement probes were deployed in these regions using a four-axis overhead traverse to acquire validation data in the large facility, including instrument verification between a 14-hole probe and Pitot-static rake. Detached eddy simulation (DES) and Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) turbulence models were evaluated for the numerical approach. This work describes the three-dimensional model setup and presents these data comparisons.