"TO WIND TUNNEL OR NOT TO WIND TUNNEL" The game changer for all manufacturers

Manufacturers are quite rightly excited waking up to a new dawn of aerodynamics. Aerolab tech with their patented technology and skilled team of aerodynamics experts are leading the way for real world aerodynamics. As with any new steps into new frontiers there are many questions with this disruptive technology. Are all aero systems alike and is the data predicting, estimating, manipulated or actually measuring live all variables with high speed? This is a poignant stage in understanding aerodynamics. Very much like in 2011 when the cycling industry monopolised for >10years by SRM became inundated with power-meters, some strain gauge based measuring, some algorithm based, spider mounted, bottom bracket, pedal integrated or crank mounted. This became confusing for the consumer and pricing over quality killed many power-meter companies run of success. Suddenly we had power-meters costing 200euro with a higher end of 3000euro.

Real world aerodynamics is becoming also challenged with a price over quality, although competition is important for the health of the market there are some very distinguishing differences between systems. not only price ranges similar to the power-meter market with aero systems from 200euro to 3000euro. The big defying difference from a power-meter in comparison to an aero instrument is for example. Take an average watt over distance riding offset of some 20watt fluctuation of accuracy between measurements, arguably knowing that you are constantly 20watts above or below your correct power-output this can be a deciding element for your budget. Calibration and temperature changes have all offset challenges or displacement vector of accuracy.

In aerodynamics however unfortunately for our budgets ???? in real-world aerodynamics this inaccuracy cannot be an argument for buying more affordable systems. Accuracy in the case of aerodynamics is everything.

Scientific CfD expertise and wind tunnel engineers, innovation, technology advancements, trends, traditions are steering the demands of aerodynamics in the field of manufacturing & athlete performance.

What are the options for a manufacturer, team and or athlete ?

What are the options? Let's start with budgets. 'failing to plan is planning to fail' Knowing that slow speed wind tunnels are +/- 600euro/hour, disruptive technology Aerolab tech consultancy costs are 750euro/day. Data acquisition on a mass scale in a slow speed wind-tunnel is costly, planning needs to be precise and structured enabling the time and quality of data to be maximised, whether it's a number of helmets to test, skin-suit tests, fabrics, body position, frame technology or wheel, tyre and fork set up. Start building out a structure:

• What do you wish to achieve in aerodynamics?
• Where do wish to achieve your aerodynamic gains, location, air densities, surfaces etc...?
• What do you wish to test and in which particular dynamic variables do you wish to see end results or comparable data?
• How do you wish to interpret your data and what do you wish to do with the data?

"we must?inevitably?make some sacrifices if we are going to save money whilst trying to save energy riding faster for longer"

Time and budget are ultimately dominating factors for any manufacturer or performance athlete/team in a quest to optimise and keep up with competition & understand new designs, new fabrics, new shapes, increasing stability and sustainability.... Every manufacturer is designing a product to perform in the real world and every athlete wishes to perform with the product that best works for his or her goals... 'Bridging the gap between controlled environments and real world variables'. >20 years ago there was a lot of noise around bridging the gap between science & coaching and new advancements of technology for using data for designing training programs and understanding physiological responses to training (power, heart-rate, lactate, metabolism) https://books.google.be/books/about/In_pursuit_of_a_powerful_performance.html?id=Ku9ADwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y , we are in a similar position now with technology advances closing the gap between wind tunnel and CfD accuracy.

"Limiting factors are high speed power-meter accuracy & measuring environmental variables" Times are changing thanks to the patented Aerolab tech www.aerolab.tech

Disruptive technology: A new dawn is upon us

Manufacturers are turning to real world aerodynamics because firstly the advancements in technology over the last decade with high engineering grade instruments and secondly a vast number of test protocols that can be offered in a relatively small time frame.

• Wind speed, wind gusts and wind yaw measurements at high speed accuracy
• Accurate real world ground speed and GPS orientation of elevations and position tracking
• High speed engineering grade air density sensors, barometer, temperature gauges...
• Detecting high and low pressure correlations between different technologies, where 3% gains in equipment were seen as measurable in a wind tunnel controlled environment, now with this disruptive technology from Aerolab tech you can see clearly equipment gains, where for example a point of sweet-spot in #YAW when pulling the bike as a sail effect or the wind deflection pressure separation coming off the rider is smoother.
• Static, dynamic and complications of outdoor variables. What are manufacturers looking for? When you take into consideration how in a wind tunnel the static athlete is achieving extreme frontal area gains to become slippery, moulding positions that are often #unsafe, with impaired vision, #unsustainable position over time due to hip impingements and or unstable cockpit. Frontal area are the largest gains in aerodynamics due to a 90% of wind resistance, however when manufacturers are advancing innovation to stabilise the cockpit and steer or channel the wind to work more effectively with the bike, whilst creating smoother separations, then realising these designs with real world data in >500km of test runs starts to make a lot of sense. #blackboxdata

• Yes you read it correctly ?? >500km of high grade engineering aerodynamic real world data, a constructor leader board that pushes the boundaries of real world aerodynamics, a black box rapidly filling with crucial big data points, understanding how different environmental variables effect frames, forks, cock-pits, wheel set-ups, tyre compatibility. Smaller manufacturers can now catch up very quickly with the power brands on the market.
• Why high speed data? Yes of course every manufacturer who understands granular importance of R&D and weighs up the balance both financially to consolidate accurate data acquisition with regards to frequency, repeatability, consistency. This brings a very real world perspective to producing a new direction in performance R&D.

How important is a power-meter? POWER = (? ρCdA v3 + Crr m g v) ε1 ρ: air density, Cd: coefficient of drag, A: frontal area, v : velocity, Crr: coefficient of rolling resistance, m: mass of rider and equipment, g: gravitational constant, ε: mechanical efficiency https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331967932_Effect_Of_Position_On_Aerodynamics_In_Cycling

Power is a dominating factor in aerodynamic equation and the more power accuracy that is achieved the more accurate your aerodynamic equation will become, meaning basically the higher frequency of data the more granular you can analyse. Optimally using power-meters with dynamically calibrated strain gauges. Take a 4hour endurance ride using a 1-4hrz power-meter this is enough data to understand your torque critical power profile, however for understanding more intricate measurements to the gram as a wind-tunnel, such as fabrics, helmets, frame designs, crr, wheel and tyre set-ups then high speed is crucially important for more accurate converging of data >20hrz of wind speed accuracy, air density data, pressure fields.

• Concluding; Real world aerodynamics has definitely arrived but you need to be aware of many aspects to achieve correct results;

1. You need an accurate power-meter
2. You need a high speed aero system that is measuring all aspects of environmental change
3. You need a consistent repeatable protocol
4. You need a motivated, consistent test person
5. You need sustainable, consistent course for accuracy
6. You need an educated operator or a 3rd party expertise to interpret your data
7. If you have a limited budget, then 3rd party real world testing with expert field scientists at Aerolab tech is a smart option
8. Internally educated R&D team to support designs in the real world

Contact https://aerolab.tech/contact/