Sunday December 6, 2009
A boost for local innovation
By RICHARD LIM
A new low-speed wind tunnel at the International Islamic University of Malaysia is set to boost innovation in the country.
Designed by the university’s Engineering faculty, the RM10mil wind tunnel offers an avenue for aerodynamic testing.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has encouraged local industries to make use of the facility instead of going abroad. He added that the wind tunnel would be a unique selling point for the nation to cement its reputation as a regional education hub.
“The wind tunnel allows foreign researchers to conduct tests in Malaysia,” he said at a press conference after the wind tunnel’s launch on Tuesday.
“This will lead to greater industrial and international collaboration and the ministry is in favour of this as the university will grow in the process,” he said.
The wind tunnel allows maximum wind speeds of up to 180kph making it ideal for automotive industry testing.
It is learnt that invitations have already been extended to national car makers Proton and Perodua, as well as the 1Malaysia F1 racing team.
Apart from the automobile and aeronautical industries, the wind tunnel can be used to test the effects of wind on man-made structures.
The facility is also equipped to simulate conditions in a high-speed wind tunnel, which allows a wind speed of 450kph to 500kph.
The university is the second in Malaysia after Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to have its own wind tunnel.
However, the wind tunnel at UTM was imported and not designed locally.
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