Hanon Systems, has inaugurated its latest climatic wind tunnel, expanding the company’s capabilities to include real-world simulation testing of air conditioning, heating and engine cooling performance.
Located at the company’s technical centre in Daejeon, Korea, the 1,740 square metre facility is equipped with data acquisition equipment, a fan capable of generating wind speeds of up to 250kph, temperature and humidity controls, solar panels for sunrise and sunset simulations and a four-wheel chassis dynamometer.
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The wind tunnel serves as a research centre to support automakers in efforts to improve fuel efficiency and system functionality, as well as to evaluate newly-developed thermal solutions for durability and performance in various weather conditions.
The facility is capable of testing a broad range of vehicles including passenger cars, SUVs, vans, mini-buses and light trucks.
Specific tests include air conditioning and heating system performance and ventilation; engine cooling performance at top vehicle speeds and peak load during simulated mountain terrain or trailer-towing; window defrost and demist performance; thermal control algorithm optimisation; and fuel consumption measurement.
To strengthen the company’s research and development capabilities and services, the company invested US$35m in its testing facilities, which includes the new tunnel.
“These enhanced capabilities enable Hanon Systems to independently evaluate and validate designs without relying on external testing resources to deliver high-quality products,” said Hanon Systems CEO, In-Young Lee.
A separate groundbreaking ceremony was held in Daejeon earlier this month, unveiling plans to construct two buildings dedicated to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and anechoic testing.
The EMC test facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2016 and the anechoic test building to be operational in the first half of 2017.
Plans also are underway to add exhaust gas analysers to the climatic wind tunnel this November to support improved fuel efficiency and system performance effort.
Since its establishment in 1986 as the joint company of Ford and Mando, Hanon Systems focuses on development and production of air-conditioning and heating systems for vehicles.
