BMW AWZ - Acoustic Wind Tunnel

The AWZ was tobetheworld'slargestverticalacoustic wind tunnel, built at the BMW AG Research and Innovation Center (FIZ) in Munich. 

The requirementswereunique: a vertical wind tunnel design nexttooneofMunich'sbusiestroads, thehighestacousticstandardsworldwide, and a high-performance coolingsystemwith 4.5 MW of power thathadtobeavailablewithinseconds. The complexityoftheconstructionproject, combinedwiththecoordinationofnumerousspecialists in acoustics, cooling, airborne and structure-borne noise, presented an extraordinarychallenge.  

Torealizetheworld'slargestverticalacoustic wind tunnel, the HABAU-MCE-AIOLOS-ETS consortiumtook on theoverallplanning, execution, and commissioningofthehighlycomplexfacility. ETS was responsiblefor all technicalequipment – fromheating, cooling, and ventilationtosanitation, compressedair, fireextinguishingtechnology, and MSR and electricalengineering. 

A centralelement was thecoolingsupply: a powerful 2,800 kW NH₃ chiller was installed in thethirdbasementlevelofthebuilding, supplementedbyrecoolers and a bufferstorage tank with a volumeof 52 m³. This coolingcenterenablestherequired 4.5 MW ofcoolingcapacitytobeavailable in a matter ofseconds – essential fortheoperationofthe wind tunnel.  

The installationofthe large technicalcomponents in theconfinedstructuralconditionspresentedtheteamwith a majorlogisticalchallenge. Particularlynoteworthyisthetransport and integrationofthe 14x14 m heatexchanger – a precisiontaskwithtightdeadlines.  

Despitepandemic-relateddeliverybottlenecks, short-term adjustments, and a high degreeofcoordinationcomplexity, ETS was abletodeliver a technically high-precisionsystem in closecooperationwith all partners. Today, theproject stands as an exampleofinterdisciplinaryengineering excellence underthemostdemandingacoustic and thermal requirements.