Rain, snow and ice simulation

The simulation of snow, rain and ice plays a major role in climatic testing along with temperature, humidity and solar radiation. The climatic wind tunnels are equipped with various devices specially designed for this purpose.

A spray rig can be inserted into both climatic wind tunnels so that the entire frontal part of the vehicle can be uniformly covered with rain, snow and ice. The ultra-fine snow and ice nozzles are designed to produce droplets down to sizes of < 20 µm. This feature is especially important when carrying out tests for the aviation industry, where subcooled water droplets must be simulated.

Connections for individual nozzles are arranged along the test section to allow for local snow and ice application. The system can be used at air speeds of up to 160 km/h and temperatures down to –20 °C.

An additional rain rig for rain and ice tests is installed in the ceiling. It can be set to a precipitation rate of up to 80 l/(hm²) over the entire test section (in both climatic wind tunnels simultaneously). The rig sections in the tunnels are divided into segments of 15 m each, which can be activated or shut off separately.

For certain functional tests, e.g. on high-voltage disconnecting switches or current collectors, subcooled water must be used for the production of clear ice. The facility is equipped with a water cooling system and a pump unit for this purpose.