EVG Group helps NASA reach new heights

NASA Langley Research Center, a U.S. space agency research facility located in Hampton, Virginia, USA, held a groundbreaking ceremony on August 17, 2022, to celebrate the start of construction of its first major wind tunnel in more than 40 years.

 

Credits: NASA

Credits: NASA

Credits: NASA

Credits: NASA

The new wind tunnel, called the Flight Dynamics Research Facility (FDRF), will provide researchers with a highly versatile and cost-effective vertical wind tunnel for conducting research and technology development that supports diverse NASA missions, including aeronautics research, space exploration, and science.

Since the late 1930s and early 1940s, NASA aeronautics researchers have used the historic 12-foot Low Speed Tunnel and the Vertical Spin Tunnel, respectively, to reduce the design risk of countless aircraft.

Of crucial importance will be the four EVG axial fans of a newly introduced series with a diameter of 4.25 meters and a drive power of 560 kW each. These fans are similar in design to the EVG Skydive models and are also equipped with carbon blades. Due to the lightweight blades, the wide power spectrum required for the FDRF can be ensured; changes in speed are possible within a very short time. In contrast to Skydive fans, the axis of rotation in this wind tunnel is horizontal, so the design has been adapted to this type of application. 

„At EVG Group, we are proud that customers of the high-tech sector like NASA have confidence in our capabilities and the quality of our work. This shows that the continuity of our performance, which is based on experience, competence, the will to innovate, but above all on the intensive exchange with our customers is the right way to go,“ said Frank Häusler, CEO of EVG Group. 

EVG, with Calspan Corporation as the overall system supplier, supplies not only the fans but also the flow-optimized connecting ducts with a specifically designed flange. These adapt from the round 4.25-meter fan diameter to the 6×6-meter square building connection and ensure uniform airflow in the test chamber.

The FDRF will have significantly greater capability than the two existing tunnels it is replacing, while greatly reducing the maintenance and operating costs. These new capabilities include increased dynamic pressure, increased Reynolds numbers and less free-stream turbulence. All of which will enable NASA and industry partners to study the flow of air traveling around aerospace vehicles, more detailed than before.

The 25,000-square-foot facility will also support entry, descent, and landing of human exploration and science missions returning from the Moon and Mars, as well as exploration of Venus and Saturn’s moon, Titan.

“What we’re going to do with this facility is literally change the world,” said Clayton Turner, director of NASA Langley Research Center. “The humble spirit of our researchers and this effort will allow us to reach for new heights, to reveal the unknown, for the betterment of humankind.”

The FDRF is the next large project in NASA Langley’s facility revitalization master plan. The facility honors Langley’s commitments to transformation, providing world-class research and reducing old infrastructure.

Construction of the FDRF is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.
 

This website uses cookies

We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Imprint Data privacy