By Isabella Kaminski

The Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics at the University of Stuttgart in Germany can now test components for acoustic emissions.

This is possible because sound-absorbing moulded parts made of Basotect, a melamine resin foam from chemical company BASF, have been installed in the Institutes’s laminar wind tunnel.

Components of wind turbines or aircraft wings can be tested and optimised in the tunnel with respect to their aerodynamic performance.

The wind tunnel, which is about 45m long, sucks in air from the outside and speeds it up at the entrance to the tunnel. The components are studied in a closed measurement section. In order to improve the quality of the aero-acoustic measuring the wind tunnel had to be additionally sound-insulated.

According to BASF, Basotect has good acoustic properties and is very flexible. Because of the wind tunnel’s unusual shape, the insulation manufacturer  made customised Basotect moulded parts for it.