NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, England (BRAIN) — Set to open in February, the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub will offer the cycling industry R&D facilities including two wind tunnels, 3D scanning tools for CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modeling, and a robot-equipped "bike efficiency rig" intended to provide accurate and repeatable testing of frames and components. The hub also includes office and workshop space for rent.
The 26,000-square-foot facility is being launched by TotalSim, specialists in aerodynamic testing with roots in Formula 1 racing. It is located in Silverstone Park, a business technology center within England's "F1 Belt." Silverstone is also home to annual cycling industry distributor show The Bike Place.
"We are aiming for this to be the best R&D center for sport in the country," said Rob Lewis, managing director of TotalSim. "What's more, it's going to be affordable to companies that previously could only dream of carrying out R&D at this level. We're inviting professional teams, bike brands and clothing manufacturers to make the most of facilities that until now we know have been the preserve of only the best funded national federations."
The two new wind tunnels will consist of a sports performance tunnel optimized for testing cycling, winter and para sports equipment, plus a fabric development wind tunnel for controlled and repeatable testing of fabrics. Clients can bring their own experts to operate the wind tunnels or use aero engineers provided by the facility.
More information: silverstonesportshub.co.uk.
