APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING FORCES ACTING ON A VEHICLE IN A WIND TUNNEL

摘要

A system for resolving the measured forces and moments at VRS attachment points and tire contact patches to a standard format for a wheeled vehicle in a windtunnel. The system reduces the data to arrive at the aerodynamic forces, moments and coefficients. The test vehicle is equipped with one or more wheel force transducers installed between the wheels and the corresponding hubs. A VRS rod or strut attaches to the wheel so that loads through the hub and into the wheel are sensed at both the VRS strut and the tire contact patch. The force transmitted through the hub into the wheel is sensed and measured directly by the wheel force transducer. The combination of measurements from the VRS load cells and the wheel transducers allows the determination of the external forces acting on the vehicle at the tire contact patch, which in turn leads to the aerodynamic forces acting on the vehicle. When combined with the geometry of the vehicle, the aerodynamic moments acting on the vehicle can then be determined.