Michael Waltrip Throttles Up a Digital Simulation Edge
10/3/2012
Michael Waltrip Racing's secret weapon coming off of its competitive NASCAR racing season is the combination of CD-adapco's Star-CCM+ CFD tools and wind tunnel testing. (Source: Michael Waltrip Racing)
Beth, this is where CAE codes make a big difference. It is possible to explore a large part of the design space in the computer. This gives the design team the ability find optimal, or near optimal, parameters for their rel-world testing.
Another interesting aspect is the cloud for CFD. These are highly parallel simulations that seem more amenable to massive parallel solutions. It is also interesting to see that this is a public cloud solution.
Wind tunnel testing is necessary in order to validate the results. Remember Microsoft's Excel math mistakes? If an error like that crept into CFD calculations, the results could get "interesting".
This is a great use of simulation, Beth. Incredibly improved efficiency. This same approach is getting used in building plants and setting up systems. simulation prior to build is saving both time and money.
@TJ: Wind tunnel testing is definitely still necessary, no doubt. What the team at Michael Waltrip is saying it that by leveraging simulation (and eventually even more high performance compute horsepower offered by the cloud), they can test out more possibilities and then use the wind tunnel testing (which is limited due to budgets) for validation of the best designs. Helps them explore more possibilities more efficiently and cost effectively--a refrain I hear consistently from simulation users.
Interesting analogy...NASCAR is like an "arms race". Of course the arms race is within the rules, and it depends on how the drivers and teams perform during the race. The competition is cutthroat, and that's part of the reason for NASCAR's popularity.
As for aerodynamics, it definitely plays a big role on the longer faster tracks. A damaged car body at Daytona or Talladega can rarely keep pace with the front runners, aerodynamics is just too critical at 190-210 miles per hour. Many non-fans have noticed the NASCAR "drafting", where at high-speed, two or more cars lined-up are faster than one car alone.
Watch the NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway (2.66 mile tri-oval with 33 degree high-bank turns) this Sunday (Oct 7th) to see why aerodynamics is so important in high-speed races. There is usually a huge number of lead changes during the race, 50 or more lead changes is not uncommon. The race record is a 188 mph speed average, qualifying record 212 mph. Frequently there is last lap passes to win the race, as the driver's know how to use aerodynamics to make passes ("overtaking" for you F1 people).
@RICKZ28: The arms race analogy is certainly different, but the Michael Waltrip team's choice of words, not mine. And you are right, aerodynamics is a huge design challenge for these racing teams. In fact, there are many, many stories about other race car teams leveraging advanced simulation software to do more of the same. Interesting, because these teams are out in front in terms of how they're incorporating simulation into their design workflows compared with many engineering organizations in traditional companies.
Michael Waltrip was going for the win on the last lap of the race at Talladega Superspeedway (Sunday, Oct 7, 2012)...so he did a good job in putting himself in a good position at the end of the race. Unfortunately, he got caught-up in a huge last lap crash, finished 25th.
I did enjoy the 54 lead changes during the 500 mile race (and that's only "official" lead changes at the start/finish line), as well as the fast 171 mph average speed. The high-speed race was all about the use of aerodynamics, including drafting.
Beth, one of the most fascinating demonstrations I have seen in the recent past was given by the SIM Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It was a demonstration of the power of CFD in investigating air movement around 18 wheelers traveling at varying speeds. Grant money was furnished by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Peterbuilt. As a part of the demo, we were able to see how variations in cowling and "hardware" made differences in air patterns slipping over exterior surfaces of the cabs and trailers. I'm sure NASCAR could benefit from CFD and save hundreds of hours devoted to "cut and try". Great article.
Thanks Bob. That sounds like quite an informative presentation. May I ask what the purpose of the demonstration was and who the audience was? Was it's purpose to promote CFD specifically?
The 3D printing revolution seems to have a knack for quickly moving technology ahead by way of collaborative effort and even a little friendly competition -- all of course in the name of scientific advancement.
Laura Sapiens' Ego! Smartmouse offers users a unique interactive experience by providing 2D and 3D connectivity, hardware identity authentication, data storage, and more.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
0 
