Thomas Frühwirth in final tests before the 2016 Paralympics at the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer, TU Graz.
Air flow at the touch of a button. In the wind tunnels of TU Graz, aerodynamic tests are carried out on top athletes, automobiles and even building models. Austrian handcyclists Thomas Frühwirth and Walter Ablinger won silver medals at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Earlier, they were guests of the Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer at TU Graz for aerodynamic tests of their bikes and themselves. "Athletes come to us the whole year round - especially those involved in alpine winter sports, like the Austrian bobsleigh and toboggan teams. Even ski-jumpers have been tested intensively," explains Walter Meile, who is responsible for aerodynamic research at the Institute. A low-speed wind tunnel powered by three fans for wind speeds of up to 145 km/h is available for aerodynamic experiments at TU Graz.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
