Wirth Research is a group of

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

companies, founded by Nicholas Wirth in 2003, specialising in

research Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

, development, design and manufacture for the

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...

industry and other

high technology High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...

sectors. The companies use virtual engineering technologies to enable a completely simulated vehicle design, development and testing process. The group is known for deviating from traditional physical development models; most notably neglecting to use a

wind tunnel Wind tunnels are large tubes with air blowing through them which are used to replicate the interaction between air and an object flying through the air or moving along the ground. Researchers use wind tunnels to learn more about how an aircraft ...

and instead relying solely upon

computational fluid dynamics Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate ...

to design the 2010 Virgin Racing VR-01 Formula 1 car. The Wirth Research group have a long-standing partnership with Honda Performance Development Inc (HPD) which is responsible for the design, development and manufacture of the ARX sports cars. Wirth Research also provides client IndyCar teams with full technical support.

Design

Wirth Research encompasses design disciplines that include: :*

Composite Composite or compositing may refer to: Materials * Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances ** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts ** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials ...

structures :*

Suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...

:* Transmission :* Electronics and Control :*

Hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counte ...

Cooling Cooling is removal of heat, usually resulting in a lower temperature and/or phase change. Temperature lowering achieved by any other means may also be called cooling.ASHRAE Terminology, https://www.ashrae.org/technical-resources/free-resources/as ...

, lubrication and engine ancillaries :* R&D, component systems and whole-vehicle testing Wirth Research uses tools provided by Siemens UGS PLM for many of its design activities.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

The company uses ANSYS Fluent solvers for its analysis.

Aerodynamic design

The largest department at Wirth Research, whose

Computational Fluid Dynamics Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate ...

contents are typically evaluated by WR Digital. Whilst the company is not known for using physical models in the development process, it does use real-world wind-tunnel testing to verify its CFD results.

Vehicle simulation

Two identical simulators are split between HPD's headquarters in Indianapolis and the company's base in Bicester. They are built in partnership with Cruden on a modified 6 degree of freedom motion platform constructed of carbon fibre and presently housing a DW12 Monocoque. The display mode consists of numerous projectors providing a passive stereoscopic 3D 170 degree display of a modified version of the Racer simulation engine.

Virtual reality

Virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...

and augmented reality applications such as Emersio are developed and used by Wirth Research for assessing ergonomic issues and presenting new ideas in 1:1 scale.

References

{{Reflist Racing simulators Motor vehicle manufacturers of England Motor vehicle assembly plants in the United Kingdom Motorsport in England Automotive companies of England Engineering companies of England Sports car manufacturers Sports car racing Computational fluid dynamics Computer-aided engineering Companies based in Oxfordshire