GM's new wind tunnel aims to improve, quicken design work

The Motor City -- GM has mentioned some notable vitals on its redesigned 2016 versions to showcase the success of its own weight cutting technique: The new Volt and Cruze are about 250 lbs lighter-than their forerunners; the Malibu drops virtually 300 pounds as well as the Camaro loses practically 400.
But decreasing mass is one of four core techniques GM is utilizing to match growing fuel economy requirements. The the others are complex powertrain technologies, including electrification; more effective integration of automobile parts and sub-systems; and better aero-dynamics.
Of these systems, aero is definitely the most inexpensive to execute. So General Motors has made a decision to spend some cash to make it speedier and simpler to attain slicker layouts which will give better fuel-economy.
General Motors has started a $30 million wind-tunnel on its chief technical campus in suburban Detroit that blasts small scale car designs with winds up to 155 miles per hour. The clay versions are only 40% the dimension of the real point. They've operating suspensions and practical but scaled-down motor blocks and underbodies produced by 3d printers.
The aim would be to empower designers to fine tune car forms quicker to decrease wind drag. Shaving 1 pound of clay from a small scale design, as an example, is the equal of eliminating 16 lbs from a full size version, General Motors says.
General Motors increasingly is stressing aerodynamic performance in its layouts, said Scott Miller, manager of General Motors's CO2 method. As an example , the slick '16 Malibu that arrives in dealerships next month is likely to be more fuel-efficient thanks to a layout that boasts a better drag coefficient of 0.29, in the area of some electrical automobiles (the '16 Volt's is 0.285).
The 35,000-square foot tunnel has a 1,100-hp enthusiast that uses 18 carbon-fiber blades. It is only several hundred feet from GM's 3-5-year old full scale wind tunnel. Photo credit: GM picture

As General Motors Corporation develops vehicles to satisfy a 54.5 mpg corporate average fuel-economy goal by the 2025 model-year, "we are likely to need to enhance aerodynamic performance of every one of our automobiles," Miller informed reporters this month during a media tour of the recent wind tunnel.
The 35,000-square foot tunnel has a 1,100-hp enthusiast that uses 18 carbon-fiber blades. It is only several hundred feet from GM's 3-5-year old full scale wind-tunnel, that may experience a significant restoration next year. General Motors says that having both wind tunnels will empower development teams to operate quicker and on more versions.
Miller stated that since the full scale wind-tunnel opened in 1980, General Motors has reduced the typical drag of its own vehicle fleet by one third.

It's possible for you to reach Mike Colias at [email protected].

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24.11.2015
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