Honda is to invest US$124m in an aeroacoustic wind tunnel at its Transport Research Center facility in Ohio. Due for installation by the end of 2017, the groundbreaking new facility will be equipped with a unique interchangeable belt system capable of testing both production vehicles and race cars.
It will feature a five-belt rolling road system designed for the development of production vehicles and a second, single/wide belt system designed for testing high-performance sports cars and purpose-built race vehicles. The tunnel will be able to produce wind speeds of up to 192mph.
The aeroacoustic wind tunnel facility will have space for four secure and confidential customer bays, providing the opportunity for use by customers other than Honda.
“This new facility will further enhance our ability to efficiently create products of the highest quality for our customers. It will be integral to our aerodynamic and aeroacoustic R&D activity, which spans from advanced research and computer simulation, through scale-model and full vehicle development, to production vehicle performance assurance,” said Frank Paluch, president of Honda R&D Americas.
April 25, 2017
