Briton EMS and 42 Technology partners for wind tunnel system

The two companies have developed a control system for ARA’s new gust generator capable of simulating gusts at transonic, or cruising, speeds typically experienced by aircraft. The new generator will help to drive new research into improving understanding of how turbulence affects aircraft performance. It is part of an investment at ARA in new systems and services, funded to the order of GBP 9 million by the Aerospace Technology Institute. The tool could help manufacturers to modify their aircraft designs or to develop systems to compensate for gusts, leading to smoother flights. Briton EMS and 42 Technology – who have frequently worked together for industrial and consumer electronics clients – teamed up with ARA’s in-house engineering team to design, manufacture and install the control system for the new generator. 42 Technology designed the system to link the generator’s control desk with a network of 1800 solenoid valves, each of which needs to be opened and closed within 20 milliseconds to deliver the required gust profiles. The control system is housed in four, two metre high electronics cabinets and was completed from initial design to installation in under two months.