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Tropical heat or arctic cold. All the world's weather is simulated in Scania's new climate lab. The goal is to shorten development time for new trucks and buses.
Next door to the test track at Scania in Södertälje area gets a new 25
meter high shimmering gray building. Inside the door buzzes with
installers in yellow construction helmets.
It's like building a small mill, explains project manager Lars Hult, as he guides around all the plumbing and wiring. Up a set of stairs is the heart of the system. A fan with a diameter of 3.75 meters can blow an icy arctic wind at -35 degrees or 50 degrees, dry desert storm. The air duct is a fan gun that does different types of snow. The snow can be replaced by driving rain. We can test any climate. When we want and how we want, says Lars Hult. Climate Wind Tunnel is an investment of several hundreds of millions. The preparations and construction has been underway for four years. In a few weeks will start the first tests, and from March 2013, Scania's new models are tested here. It is the first climatic wind tunnel in Europe that are designed for trucks. Probably the only person in the world, says Lars Hult. Similar facilities are available at most car manufacturers. The benefits are numerous. Winter testing may be the middle of summer without the prototypes need to be shipped to a location with the right climate. It is possible to accurately determine the temperature, precipitation and wind. And do several tests under the same conditions. The repeatability is virtually impossible today. There may be two degrees above freezing and rain during a planned winter testing, says Lars Hult. Properties that are tested are, for example, how the climate inside the car is affected by strong sun or snow and cold. Wind noise can be measured and how rain is headed by the cab and the dirt sticks to the doors, mirrors and other parts. For the first time it also becomes possible to measure emissions in real-world operation. We can identify weaknesses in the system. The cooling fan is such a great effect thief. It may be switched off in certain situations to improve fuel economy, says Lars Hult. Scania hopes to shorten development times while climate features sharpened. But all over, it is not winter testing in Arvidsjaur or summer tests in Spain. No, what we do here is still only a simulation of reality, says Lars Hult. |
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