Trends in aero-acoustic wind tunnel testing

Abstract

Some of the latest trends in new aero-acoustic wind tunnels, upgraded aerodynamic wind tunnels, and climatic wind tunnels are presented in terms of innovation to serve as aero-acoustic tools for the vehicle designer. The goal for better simulation in a wind tunnel is to have a signal to noise ratio of about 10dB between vehicle noise and background noise across the full frequency spectrum for a given vehicle. GIE S2A 24M² automotive aero-acoustic wind tunnel and General Motors Aerodynamic Lab (GMAL) 56.2m² are two of the latest innovations in the field of aero-acoustic tools for vehicle designers.