ABB technology can be found in many unexpected places. Controlling the wind speed of a vertical wind tunnel for indoor skydivers with ABB variable speed drives (VSDs) is one example to mention.
Windoor Realfly, one of the most popular venues for professional athletes of indoor skydiving is putting the reliability of our VSDs to an ultimate test at their annual Wind Games competition on Spain’s Costa Brava this weekend on 1-3 February.
If the VSDs were to fail, the wind tunnel would not be operational at all – and a great event would see an abrupt interruption, or even a cancellation.
The upward flow of air that enables flyers to effectively freefall in the tunnel is provided by four massive electric fans. Previously the wind speed in wind tunnels was regulated by adjusting the pitch of the fan blades. This approach wastes energy as well as not being able to provide the much needed precise control.
In the wind tunnel the speed of response provided by ABB’s VSDs is crucial. The precise control ensures instant variation of the wind speed within the tunnel chamber – with just the lightest touch on a joystick sending it from the 150 km/h that enables a gentle hover up to the 300 km/h that will send the most experienced and fearless flyers soaring 15 meters into the air.
Such wind speed is stronger than a Class 5 hurricane, and 15 minutes in the chamber is the same as 15 freefall jumps from an aircraft – what a thrilling experience! The indoor conditions make Windoor tunnel an ideal training facility for experienced skydivers in addition to beginners as young as 4-year-olds.
The skill, athleticism and daring involved in skydiving is clear to see. But the sport has never had a realistic chance of becoming an Olympic event. The weather plays an enormous factor, as does the fact that it has to take place close to an airfield. And it is very much a sport for participants rather than spectators. Now though there is a new game in town in the form of indoor skydiving. Indoor wind tunnels are springing up across the world – there are already nearly 200 venues – and the sport can easily be captured by TV in order to make it accessible to a bigger audience.
Unlike jumping from an aircraft, where even the longest freefall usually lasts no longer than 90 seconds, the perfect conditions in an indoor wind tunnel enable a skydiver to freefall almost indefinitely. As well as helping skydivers to perfect their skills, a whole range of new indoor disciplines have emerged, including speed trials and routines performed to music. In fact, there is a whole new generation of professional indoor skydivers called ‘Proflyers’ who never skydive from an aircraft.
So important are the Proflyers for Windoor that they have a dedicated manager, Anne Maxwell, who is helping to drive the sport’s Olympic ambition:
“With excellent facilities now available worldwide we now have many of the elements necessary to hold an international sporting competition. But indoor skydiving is a very, very new sport. That means there is still a lot of hard work to be done in convincing the Olympic Committee. However, the early signs are that Paris in 2024 is a real possibility for an Olympic debut.”
The Olympics are still a dream for indoor skydivers. But the ambition of the Windoor team is combining with reliable, high precision control technology to bring that dream ever closer to reality.
ABB is proud to work behind the scenes at the Wind Games this year too – join in by watching the live streaming of the competition here.