KineticaRT Wind Studio

KineticaRT Wind Studio User Configurable Motorsport Wind Tunnel Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System for Windows NT and XP V2.0 © KineticaRT Ltd 2003

Introduction
Wind tunnel time is precious
Integration of the wind tunnel control system with the data acquisition system, and incorporation of adequate on-line results analysis provides a system that assists the user in making correct decisions. For example, step-by-step reporting in relation to previous and “reference” runs.
Experience of providing control systems for Motorsport Wind Tunnels has provided us with valuable knowledge :
Aerodynamic teams know what they want
A standard wind tunnel control system is unlikely to fit well, a bespoke system is normally expensive and slow to develop and change. A configurable system allows a good fit, without escalating delivery time and cost.
Customers can buy Wind Studio off-the-shelf and tailor the functionality to their exact requirements. Alternatively, we can work with customers to fully understand their requirements and deliver a complete turnkey solution on a fixed price basis to an agreed project plan. Co-operative development with a client’s software team is another option.
But things never stay the same for long
Tunnel facilities evolve rapidly, so undoubtedly the control and data acquisition requirement will continue to expand.
Model roll and yaw
Steel moving road
Vertical wheel force measurements
Steering & active suspension
Closed loop ride height control
High speed pressure scanning
Dynamic measurements
Full size car testing
Enhancements often need to be made in an impromptu way A user configurable system, using “open” interfaces, meets this challenge without entailing excessive cost. © KineticaRT Ltd 2003

Overview
FULLY INTEGRATED WIND TUNNEL TESTING
Features:
Fully automated execution of the test run
Full manual control, if required
Fault monitoring
Priority based alarm and warning system
Diagnostic time-graph display
Drag and drop run-time configuration
Fully user configurable and extendable
Setup files use XML
Easy to use editors are provided where frequent changes are required
Software component based .NET & ActiveX
Multiple display monitor support
Network enabled for LAN test setup and analysis
Simulation of wind tunnel for integration and training
Open interfaces and communications via OPC and XML
Designed for Windows NT & XP
The software has been proven in tunnels used by F1, Le Mans and other racing teams. Although originally developed for motorsport wind tunnels, KineticaRT has also been used in other automotive and aerospace tunnels. Flexible monitoring and “smart” diagnostics are just two of the many features included in KineticaRT to assist with reliable wind tunnel operation: © KineticaRT Ltd 2003

Typical Architecture
Typical Wind Tunnel Control and Data Acquisition Architecture © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 In this example, real-time control and data acquisition is distributed to sub-systems that are each responsible for an area of wind tunnel functionality. In practice, the main control software running on the Operator PC may fulfil some components of control and data acquisition. A 100BaseT Ethernet network provides communication between PCs and sub-systems. In addition, omitted from this diagram, there is a timing line for synchronization of data acquisition start time. A second network supports file transfer. The number and functionality of sub-systems is for illustration only. The architecture is configurable and scaleable so can be tailored to match specific customer requirements. Sometimes direct control and data acquisition is via boards plugged into the Operator, or other, PC.

User Interface
Left and Right Monitors © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 The wind tunnel operator interface is via multiple monitors on a single PC running Windows (NT or XP). Here a pair of monitors support the control and display pages. … and the right one is displaying two pages: The top half is a live display of 64 pressures from a pressure scanning module. The bottom half is the wind tunnel sub-system control and monitoring page. Page selection is via tabs at the top of each half. In this example, the left monitor is displaying the main page...

Main Page 1
Main Page - on left monitor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Run Comment Can be typed in or picked from a pre-defined list. It is included in Results files. Message Display Logging to disk is configurable, as are actions taken when messages of a specific priority occur. User Defined Area Connection of displays at runtime by drag-and-drop or picking from channel list. Live data displays of key wind tunnel parameters. All pages are fully configurable, so customers can tailor this area to their own preferences.

Main Page 2
Main Page - on left monitor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Smart Indicators tell the user when sub-systems are inoperable and when results or the system need to be checked (because errors have occurred). Better/worse colour coded comparison of processed results from the last completed step of the ride map with those from equivalent steps in previous run and reference (baseline) run. Step matching conditions are configurable. After the final zero has been taken, fully adjusted results can be browsed and compared. Ride Map Display Shows setpoints and current run step. Control axes are customer configurable, allowing system expansion. Actual Values and Deltas from Setpoints. Colour coded sub-system on-condition indicators. Multiple zero steps can be included. Full calculation of all steps after each new zero. Run Controls Pause and Continue. Abort a step. Skip a step. Repeat a step. Logging start and stop modes. New run. User can select Coefficients or Full Scale Forces and Relative or Absolute Values.

Sub-system Pages 1
Rolling Road and Model Motion Manual Control Screens - normally on right monitor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Rolling Road Sub-system Page Displays live data from the rolling road and allows manual control. Tabs allow selection of two different pages on one screen. Model Motion Sub-system Page Displays live data from the model motion system and allows manual control. Operator can choose to set model position manually either by front and rear ride height or pitch and heave.

Sub-system Pages 2
Balance Monitoring and Time Graph Screens - normally on right monitor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Balance Sub-system Page Displays live data from balances. Time Graph Page Shows historical values. User selects parameters for display by drag-and-drop or picking from a channel list. Flexible zooming and scrolling allows easy access to historical data.

Sub-system Pages 3
Pressure System and Wind Tunnel Control Screens - normally on right monitor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Live display of pressures from a 64 channel pressure scanner. Useful for identifying blocked ports or incorrect port connections. 20Hz display update. Wind Tunnel Sub-system Page Displays live data from the wind tunnel sub-system and allows manual control. Various wind speed control modes can be made available. For example: constant wind speed, constant Q, constant Reynolds Number.

Diagnostic Pages
Pressure System and Time Graph Screens - normally on right monitor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Live display of pressures from a 64 channel pressure scanner. Useful for identifying blocked ports or incorrect port connections. 20Hz display update. Time Graph Page Shows historical values. User selects parameters for display by drag-and-drop or picking from a channel list.

Editors
Editors - normally on Setup/Analysis/Warm Standby PC © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Explorer side bar provides: Start Run Display of Run Status Create Run Based on This Run Create Blank Files Set This Run as Reference Run Shortcuts to other folders Change Report Records changes to Setup files (since creation of the run). Ride Map Editor Launched by double-click on Ride Map.xml file. Setup and Results data is stored in XML files and Windows folders. Standard hierarchy is Chassis/Session/Run but customers are free to define their own hierarchy. System supports library folders for commonly used template files and Windows shortcuts for easy access. All setup data is stored in XML files but task specific editors make for easy configuration.

Ride Map Editor
Ride Map Editor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Tree View Shows run stages, steps and data logging requirement files. Normal tree editing features are provided. Table View Shows run stages and steps and setpoints. Setpoints can be changed individually or in multiples. Safety Diagram Shows, at each step, the height of safety points (red and green bars) against minimum ground clearance (red line). Safety points and minimum ground clearance are defined in the Model Geometry file. Number of points is configurable. Red bars inhibit run start. Control Axes can be added to the ride map as required.

Geometry Editor
Model Geometry Editor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 List of Model Geometry parameters. Side and Plan Views Show the relative position of key Model Geometry parameters. Help to avert data entry errors. Configurable data entry limits also apply. Properties Tab For display and editing of selected parameter. Where appropriate, values can be displayed/edited full scale or unit under test scale. Comments Tab For run and parameter specific comments. File comments can also be applied. The Model Geometry file format is open and can be shared by the main control system and used by one or more sub-systems for use in control. For example, the MTS Rolling Road and Model Motion systems can make use of this file.

Results
Results Viewer and Results Setup Editor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Simple checkbox inclusion/exclusion of individual calculated results or entire parameters. Results Setup Editor Properties Tab Choice of Samples (or Mean and Standard Deviation only) and setting of Display Precision Results Viewer Launched by double-click on Results.xml file. In this example, calculated results for each parameter are listed down the page and run steps across the page. The report is configured using XSL and could easily be modified to show parameters across the page and steps down, if preferred. Step headers are marked and colour coded to show when errors and warnings have occurred. Results not relating to an individual step can be included in the report. For example, the Run Comment. Access to different sections of the report via configurable hyperlinks. Report order is also configurable.

Expression Editor
Expression Editor © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Expression Tab For display and editing of selected expression. Expressions can be entered via the keyboard or constructed using the buttons and Functions and Channels pick-lists. Built-in syntax checker. List of expressions. Normal list editing features are provided (add, delete, copy, paste, rename). KineticaRT Expressions are used to process live measured values. An expression is only evaluated when included parameters change value; this results in efficient use of computer processing power.

Thresholds
Threshold Editing © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Threshold Tab For addition, removal, display and editing of the selected expression’s Thresholds. Messages posted on crossing the Threshold are defined as an expression; so can be concatenations of text strings and channel values. Message Priority and Source can be set as well as the crossing direction that triggers the message (Greater Than or Less Than). Threshold Messages can be attached to several KineticaRT channel types (for example: variables, expressions, links). When the channel value crosses the threshold the defined message is posted to a message handling system. Messages can be filtered, displayed, logged, spoken and can generate sounds. In addition, configurable actions can be triggered by priority messages (for example stopping the run when serious errors occur).

Sequence Editor
Sequence Editor Sequences provide event driven, timed and sequential control of the system. A simple language and editor with built-in syntax checker makes it easy to create and modify sequences. Flexibility comes from the ability to include KineticaRT channels and expressions and make calls to ActiveX Components. © KineticaRT Ltd 2003

Colour Editing
Screen Editing - Colours © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 The colours of the individual parts of a display component can be picked from a list of project colours. Display components can be edited at run-time by selecting Design Mode and double-clicking on the component. Run-time editing can be inhibited globally but still permitted on pre-defined pages. A project colour editor makes it easy to change the system’s overall colour scheme.

Component Editing
Screen Editing - Component Properties © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 The appearance and behaviour of a display component is set via its property tab. In this example, a x100 Scaling Multiplier has been enabled. This adds a x100 label and adjusts the scale markings. As configured here, the Scale Range and Numeric Format are inherited from the connected channel. The channel holds this and other setup data, making it fast and easy to add new displays to the system. Inheritance also occurs on run-time drag-and-drop connection to a new channel.

Channel Connection
Screen Editing - Connecting to Channels Display components are connected to a channel (or channels) by choosing from a list of loaded channels. The page shows the channel’s type as well as its details, such as long and short descriptions, units, range and display format. This is the data that may be inherited by the display object. © KineticaRT Ltd 2003

Simulator
Wind Tunnel Simulator © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 A sub-system simulator can assist with the integration of the wind tunnel control system. It also offers a training and test environment prior to delivery or upgrade of one or more sub-systems. The simulator architecture is similar to that of the wind tunnel control system and, being user configurable, can evolve in parallel with the real system.
Some features of the simulator are:
Closed loop simulation of road, wind and model motion
Simulated live data and logged data - allowing validation of results processing
Manual value entry for individual sensors - for testing and fault scenarios
Complete test run simulation - including test skipping
Controlled generation of alarms and warnings
Fully customer configurable

Contact KineticaRT
V2.0 © KineticaRT Ltd 2003 Contact KineticaRT KineticaRT Limited The Innovation Centre Rennes Drive · Exeter Devon · UK · EX4 4RN Telephone: +44 (0) 1392 217855 Email: [email_address] uk http://www.KineticaRT.co.uk http://www.windstudio.co.uk

KineticaRT Wind Studio

by KineticaRT

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