Human Powered Vehicle Model Test Plan

Human-powered vehicles are powered exclusively by energy created manually by the human operator of the machine. A good example of an HPV is a bicycle.

  1. Aerodynamics

    • Testing is usually undertaken on scale models and prototypes of HPVs to examine the effects of wind resistance on the aerodynamic design of the vehicle. Wind tunnel tests for scale models are often completed for larger vehicles, such as airplanes and automobiles that are too large to fit into a wind tunnel at full size.

    Computer

    • As mathematical calculations are not accurate when testing the resistance or drag on an HPV, computer models are often produced to gauge performance. After the production of an initial design, a two-dimensional model is usually produced to take into account the many factors that can affect the performance of an HPV, including weight and force applied by the operator.

    Uses

    • Models are produced and tested because at the relatively low speed of HPVs, slight aerodynamic changes can produce greater improvements in speed than in larger engine-powered vehicles. After the production of a computer model, the scientific calculations regarding aerodynamic design should be re-evaluated with the results from testing forces on the computer model.