Winter Test and Vehicle Dynamics Areas

SNOW INGESTION

NATC has used the West Yellowstone area of Montana as a primary winter testing area since 1957. This capability has now grown to include use of the West Yellowstone Airport as a dedicated and exclusive Vehicle Dynamics Area. The 97-acre complex includes a 5,400-foot runway and parallel taxiway, plus a 500,000 square-foot area for evaluation of tire traction, braking, cornering, vehicle dynamics, and tire chain and tire stud performance on a variety of snow and ice surfaces.

NATC conducts snow and ice tests including:

1. Virgin-fresh snow 3 to 6 inches deep and soft pack (CTI 50 - 70)
   
2. Moderate pack (CTI 70 - 80)
   
3. Hard pack (CTI 80-90)
   
4. Ice - frozen or melting, indoor and outdoor
   
5. Dynamic driving traction
   
6. Dynamic lateral traction
   
7. Peak and Slide Braking
   
8. Two and four wheel braking
   
9. Serpentine/slalom handling
   
10. ABS braking
    
11. Accelerations
    
12. ASTM, SAE, GM, Ford and RMA “snowflake” standards

NATC recently received Test Improvement Process (TIP) approval from General Motors for Snow Traction Testing. This document certifies that NATC has satisfactorily met the GM TIP requirements.

Additional facilities and services include:

1. Vehicle preparation and maintenance area
2. Tire mounting and changing
3. Course preparation to customer requirements
4. On-site instrumentation technicians and equipment to support test programs<
5. Dynamic longitudinal and lateral traction testing vehicles on-site
6. Complete on-board data acquisition equipment
7. ABS and Traction Control System evaluations
8. Testing of snow removal apparatus, snow mobiles and other snow related equipment
9. 2000 square feet of shop space
10. 300 square feet of office space
11. Storage space as required
12. An 8 foot high chain link fence protecting NATC’s exclusive use of the facility

Alpine Arctic and Tundra Simulation Areas

This Sierra Nevada test area was established by NATC in 1957. Wind, altitude, and moisture content of the snow provide conditions comparable to those found in Canada, Alaska, and Europe. The snow "lensing" condition and areas of low cone index have made this area a proven mobility discriminator. During the spring thaw, the ground cover in certain areas of the Sierra Nevada range provides a condition similar to that found on thawed tundra in the Arctic.

European Hill and Curve Area

This Sierra Nevada test course consists of a hilly, winding, 2.1-mile closed course section of road dedicated to winter performance evaluations. NATC has exclusive use of this test area. The grades and curves on the course are representative of snow-covered roads and winter driving conditions found in Europe and other areas around the world.

Ice Test Pad

Natural ice and commercial ice facilities are available within a short distance of NATC for controlled ice traction tests. These facilities can provide both wet (melting ice) and dry (ice at less than 20 degrees) conditions for wheeled vehicle tests.

Other Winter Test Areas

In addition to dedicated test areas in West Yellowstone and the Sierra Nevadas, NATC has established temporary winter test areas in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, Canada, and Russia to support evaluations of tires and components, passenger cars, trucks, snowmobiles, pipeline service vehicles, and military equipment. At the main proving ground, winter-like conditions can be created in NATC's environmental test chambers for component tests and low-temperature storage evaluations throughout the year.

Instrumented Vehicles

Dynamic Force Measurement Vehicles (DFMVs) are specially prepared by NATC to quantify forces acting on tires and drive train components during driving traction, braking traction, and handling maneuvers. Each DFMV is equipped with on-board instrumentation for data acquisition and with a fully selectable drive system to allow µ-slip measurements on a single tire or multiple wheel positions. NATC's five DFMVs provide a range of capabilities from 12-inch to 24-inch rim sizes and from 300-pound to 10,000-pound load conditions.