An active suspension system for simulation of ship maneuvers in wind tunnels

Abstract

Wind tunnels are an experimental tool to evaluate the air flow properties of vehicles in model scale and to optimize the design of aircrafts and aircraft components. Also the hydrodynamic properties of marine components like ship hulls or propulsion systems can be examined. For advanced optimization, it is necessary to guide the models along defined trajectories during the tests to vary the angle of attack. Due to their good aerodynamical properties, parallel wire robots were successfully used to perform these maneuvers in wind tunnels. Compared to aircraft hulls, marine models may be very heavy-weight (up to 150 kg). Thus, the suspension system must be very stiff to avoid vibrations. Additionally, fast maneuvers require powerful drives. On the other hand, the positioning system should not influence the air flow to ensure unaltered experimental results. In this paper, different designs are presented and discussed. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010.