Commercial Wind Tunnel Testing Workshop
- Date:
- 15th January 2025
- Location:
- Preston
- Organisation:
- BAE Systems
- Host(s):
- Craig Eckersley, Phil Liston-Smith, Chris Murphy
This 1-day workshop aims to provide wind tunnel facility operators from academic and research institutions with awareness of additional considerations in commercial wind tunnel testing as seen from the perspective of an industrial wind tunnel facility operator. This workshop will address lifecycle management, technical reviews, quality assurance, product safety and product security and conclude with illustrative case studies to highlight the importance of these aspects.
Organisations that generate revenue by conducting wind tunnel testing for external customers have fundamental obligations not only in terms of safety, health and environment, but in many cases, national security and ensuring they provide optimal value for money to customers.
Put into a technical context, the lifecycle management process presents a series of review stages from the inception to the closure of a wind tunnel test campaign, covering cost estimation and planning, verification of facility and model suitability, efficient test execution and completion, data delivery, reporting, and final actions all in compliance with auditable industrial quality assurance standards. Robust product safety and security assessments help to prevent injury to personnel, damage to the test facility or test article, and harm to the environment and ensuring project information and test data are kept safe from unauthorized access, destruction or interference.
This course is aimed at those involved in wind tunnel testing primarily for educational or research purposes, but also for commercial wind tunnel test requirements for external customers.
Workshop Programme:
- Craig Eckersley: Technical lifecycle management (LCM)
- Phil Liston-Smith: Product integrity
- Chris Murphy: Case studies – when we did or did not follow LCM
- Tour of low-speed and high-speed test facilities
- Group discussion
Tours of the low-speed and high-speed test facilities are not guaranteed, and will depend on what work is being undertaken in the facilities at the time of the workshop.
The workshop will take place at Warton, near Preston, Lancashire from 10:00 – 17:15. Refreshments and catering will be provided.
If travelling by train the nearest stations are Preston and Kirkham and Wesham. Directions to the site will be provided to confirmed attendees.
This workshop is free to attend.
To register your interest in attending please complete the event registration form. Registration does not guarantee a place, attendance will be confirmed following review of applications by BAE Systems. A maximum of 15 attendees will be selected. Only those who receive confirmation of a place will be able to attend due to limited capacity.
Registration is now closed.
Applicants will be notified by 11th December if they have been awarded a place.