Wind Tunnel Enhancement
 Concord,
North Carolina, February 09, 2009 - As
part of its commitment to continuous
improvement, Windshear has recently
completed two projects to enhance
accuracy, repeatability, and
throughput, and is near completion
on another.
The first of the new enhancements is
implementation of a temperature
compensation system for down force
measurement. According to Windshear
Site Manager Jeffrey Bordner, the
system eliminates the need for
run-to-run warm-ups, translating to
as much as a 20% improvement in test
productivity. A typical customer
could see an additional 2 hours of
test data in a given day.
On the heels of that project,
Windshear implemented a new process
of database management that
drastically reduces the time to
collect test data. The new process
has already proven to reduce data
processing time by more than 30%.
The result is a significant
reduction in the time spent managing
data and an increase in the total
number of test runs.
The newest enhancement to Windshear
is a system of force measurement
at-the-wheel. When complete in
March, it will provide a new level
of extremely accurate aerodynamic
side-force measurement at speed.
The new system will allow for
operation while vehicles run at
speeds up to 180 MPH on Windshear’s
rolling road. An additional benefit
will be reduced tares and the
ability to measure chassis lateral
forces both with and without wind.
The end result will be a more
accurate side force measurement
capability and an increase in the
number of data runs available within
a given test period.
For more information about this
feature or any of the other high-tech systems at
Windshear, call Jeffrey Bordner at
704-788-9463.
|
Windshear Inc. Holds Grand Opening
Concord, NC,
July 28, 2008 - Windshear Inc.
celebrated the opening of its
advanced automotive wind tunnel on
July 18. The event, which drew
nearly
300 attendees, marked the
debut of the first commercially
available, full-scale, single-belt,
180-mph rolling-road wind tunnel in
the world. The high-tech facility
was completed just 15 months after
breaking ground in April 2007.
 Representatives from global
automotive manufacturers,
motorsports teams, the media and
local government joined Windshear
employees for the ceremony, as well
as tours of the facility.
Haas
Automation General Manager Bob
Murray was on hand to address the
crowd.
“I
wish that Gene Haas could be here
today,” Murray said. “Windshear is a
result of his vision and leadership,
and it’s not every day that you get
the opportunity to launch something
that is so unique. Windshear brings
Formula 1 level testing to all race
teams.”
 “We are very pleased with the
progress made opening the wind
tunnel to customers,” added
Windshear Business Manager Peter
Zierhut. “Our facility offers highly
accurate, repeatable test data
previously only available to a
select few Formula 1 teams, and
never before available anywhere in
North America.”
Windshear welcomed its first
customer, a Formula 1 team, in June
2008, and is 95-percent booked for
the remainder of the year. Demand
for test slots into 2009 is very
strong. The company’s clients
include top-level motorsports
organizations and auto
manufacturers.
 Windshear uses a Single-Belt
FlatTrac Rolling-Road system from
MTS Systems. The road is a
continuous steel belt running
beneath the vehicle to simulate the
road beneath a racecar traveling on
a speedway. This provides the most
accurate aerodynamic road simulation
possible in the automotive industry,
and greatly advances capabilities
for motorsport organizations, as
well as automotive manufacturers.
Jacobs Technology, the
advanced-technology arm of Jacobs
Engineering, operates the Windshear
facility. Jacobs Technology
specializes in design, construction
and operation of wind tunnels for
automotive, aerospace and defense
industries throughout the world.
Other Jacobs Engineering facilities
include NASA Ames Research Center,
NASA Langley Research Center, a
cold-climate wind tunnel for Hyundai
Motor Company and the Crosswind
Facility for GE Aircraft Engines.
Windshear Inc., is an independently
operated entity of Haas Automation,
Inc. |
Windshear Sells First Formula 1
Wind Tunnel Time
 Concord,
NC, April 14, 2008 - Windshear
Business Manager Peter Zierhut reported this
week that agreement has been reached with the
first Formula 1 race team for wind tunnel
testing at Windshear's new, state-of-the-art,
rolling road wind tunnel in Concord, North
Carolina. The F1 team (unnamed due to
confidentiality issues) is scheduled to start
testing in June 2008. In
addition, Zierhut reported that the Windshear
sales team has met with several other F1 teams
this year and agreements are likely for testing
to start before year-end.
To date, Windshear has sold time to
manufacturers, as well as NASCAR, and Indy race
teams. According to Zierhut, "We are excited to
have our first Formula 1 team on board. F1
represents some of the highest technology racing
in the world and it's a tribute to Windshear's
capabilities to be selected by some of the top
names in racing worldwide."
 Windshear is one
of three full scale, single-belt, rolling road
wind tunnels in the world and the only one
available commercially.
Windshear is built around an MTS rolling road
that provides testing up to 180 MPH (290 KPH)
with coordinated wind speeds. Air is circulated
in a closed-loop system by a 5100 HP (3750 KW)
fan driving a carbon fiber fan 22 feet (6.7
meters) in diameter. Maximum air flow is a
staggering 2.85 million cubic feet (80700 cubic
meters) per minute. High repeatability is
ensured via temperature management at a constant
75 F degrees (24 C) plus or minus 1 degree.
For more information about
Windshear, call 704-788-9463 or email:
info@windshearinc.com
|
Windshear, Inc. Selects Site
Manager for World-Class Wind Tunnel Facility
 Concord, NC, October 10, 2007 – Windshear, Inc.
announces that Jeffrey
Bordner, 40, has
joined
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. as Site Manager
for the new Windshear 180-mph rolling-road wind
tunnel. Mr. Bordner will manage the day-to-day
operations of all aspects of the business,
including customer relations, scheduling, wind
tunnel operations, maintenance, and more.
Mr. Bordner comes to Windshear after 17 years
with Chrysler LLC, where he held positions of
increasing responsibility in the area of
aerodynamic, thermal and acoustic testing. From
February 2004 until joining Windshear this
month, he was the Manager of Aerodynamics and
Body Design for all Dodge and Mopar motorsports
programs. He was responsible for aerodynamic
development and body design of high-performance
and racing vehicles, including NASCAR Nextel Cup
and Craftsman Truck, NHRA Funny Car & Pro-Stock,
and SCCA Speed World Challenge GT race programs,
and all high-performance production vehicles
bearing the SRT badge (including the Viper
SRT-10).
As Wind Tunnel Operations Supervisor at
Chrysler, Mr. Bordner oversaw a wide range of
test facilities in the Aerodynamic & Thermal
Test Labs, including five aerodynamic and
climatic wind tunnels, climate-control and
engine-cooling test stands, and a thermal-test
prep garage. He has extensive experience with
both full-scale and model-scale wind tunnels.
Mr. Bordner holds a Bachelor of Science degree
in Aeronautical Engineering from Western
Michigan University, and joined the Chrysler
Aerodynamic and Thermal Labs upon graduation in
1990. He led the team that developed the body
design for Dodge’s return to NASCAR Cup Series
racing in 2001.
Scheduled to open in September 2008,
Windshear’s 180-mph rolling-road wind tunnel
will be the first of its kind in North America,
and only the third rolling road wind tunnel of
its scale in existence. More importantly, it
will be the world’s first commercially
available, full-scale, rolling-road wind tunnel
of its type.
The high-tech facility will operate 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week. Windshear will be available
for hire to all motor sports teams and auto
manufacturers, providing the level of services
previously available only to top Formula 1
teams.
The wind tunnel will accommodate full-scale
vehicles, and provide constant airspeeds up to
180 mph, with temperatures controlled to within
plus or minus 1ºF. The high-tech rolling road
will be 10.5 feet wide by 29.5 feet long, and be
able to accelerate from zero to 180 mph in less
than one minute. During testing,
“through-the-belt” sensors measure the
aerodynamic down force under each tire.
Windshear, which is owned by NASCAR team owner
Gene Haas, has contracted with Jacobs Technology
(a subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.)
to build, operate, and provide test services for
the wind tunnel on the 5-acre site near Concord
Regional Airport.
|
Windshear Inc. Breaks Ground
 Concord,
NC, May 16, 2007 – Windshear, Inc. has
broken ground for the first 180-mph rolling-road
wind tunnel in North America. Construction on
the 40,000-square-foot facility began April 5,
and is scheduled for completion in the first
quarter of 2008.
Official groundbreaking ceremonies for the
world-class facility were held May 1, 2007, at
the project site in Concord. Ceremonies began at
9:30 a.m., and featured remarks from Concord
Mayor Scott Padgett; Derek Chen, Business
Development Manager for Transportation and
Automotive Equipment, North Carolina Department
of Commerce; John Cox, President and CEO,
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Gene
Haas, President and CEO, Windshear, Inc.
When completed, the $40 million Windshear wind
tunnel will be the only one of its type in North
America, and only the third rolling road of this
size in the
world. Windshear Inc. contracted Jacobs
Technology (a subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering
Group Inc.) to build the wind tunnel on the
5-acre site near Concord Regional Airport.
Slated as the most advanced racing wind tunnel
in the world, it will provide a 180-mph rolling
road under the vehicle’s tires to accurately
simulate actual racing conditions
Windshear, Inc. will ultimately operate the
one-of-a-kind facility 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, with a staff of 25. The tunnel will be
available for all motorsports teams and auto
manufacturers to rent, complementing other
nearby research-and-development facilities. |
