No description available.

Passenger cars are bluff bodies and are prone to unsteady phenomena with scales comparable to the scale of the vehicle itself. This type of large-scale, self-excited unsteadiness is the subject of the present work. Aerodynamic unsteadiness can be important for two reasons. It can cause unsteady pressures and forces on the car and it can impact the time-averaged flow through the generation of Reynolds stresses. A range of parametric two-dimensional bodies have been used in the development of novel experimental techniques and analyses and for CFD validation. Detailed investigations have been undertaken on the Ahmed model and on models of a Rover 200 passenger car in wind tunnels at Durham and at MIRA at scales of up to 40%. A method was developed which makes it possible to visualise periodic flow structures from measurements made sequentially in the wake or on the model surface. Unsteady flows for fastback passenger cars were found to be much less periodic than for two-dimensional vortex shedding cases. Pressure fluctuations were significantly lower on the model surface than in the wake resulting in limited unsteady forces. Unsteady flow structures, Strouhal numbers and levels of unsteadiness were similar for the Rover 200 model with and without a backlight spoiler and for the Ahmed model, indicating that sharp corners do not have a dominant effect on unsteadiness. Two principal unsteady structures were observed in the wake of the fastback shapes. A structure was observed at Strouhal numbers around 0.1 involving the alternate strengthening of the two c-pillar vortices in an antisymmetric mode. At Strouhal numbers in the range 0.3 to 0.6 an unsteady structure was observed consisting of the oscillation of the strength of the two c-pillar vortices in a symmetric mode. At the same time the location of the vortices oscillates in the vertical direction.

No description available.

In this study / reliability and performance of turbulence models used in CFD softwares to determine the aerodynamics of passenger cars, are tested and compared. In the analyses, drag forces acting on the car, pressure and velocity distributions and wake flow patterns are determined by using several turbulence models with a commercial software Fluent. Calculated results compared to the experimental results given in the literature. It is observed that, turbulence models give relatively reliable results for determining aerodynamic properties of the model car. Among the turbulence models, RNG k-&epsilon / and standard k-&omega / models stand one step ahead of the other models according to results.

A fully coupled system in which a vehicle s aerodynamic and handling responses can be simulated has been designed and evaluated using a severe crosswind test. Simulations of this type provide vehicle manufacturers with a useful alternative to on road tests, which are usually performed at a late stage in the development process with a proto- type vehicle. The proposed simulations could be performed much earlier and help to identify and resolve any aerodynamic sensitivities and safety concerns before significant resources are place in the design. It was shown that for the simulation of an artificial, on-track crosswind event, the use of the fully coupled system was unnecessary. A simplified, one-way coupled system, in which there is no feedback from the vehicle s dynamics to the aerodynamic simulation was sufficient in order to capture the vehicle s path deviation. The realistic properties of the vehicle and accurately calibrated driver model prevented any large attitude changes whilst immersed in the gust, from which variations to the aerodynamics could arise. It was suggested that this system may be more suited to other vehicle geometries more sensitive to yaw motions or applications where a high positional accuracy of the vehicle is required.

Since the fuel crisis of the 1970s, aerodynamic design has become essential to the vehicle design process in order to reduce fuel consumption and lower emissions as well as (in more recent years) increase the range on vehicles with alternative powertrains. Production car manufacturers have developed shape optimisation techniques that have generated significant improvements over the years however, in order to achieve further gains, a deeper understanding of the fundamental flow structures around vehicles must be achieved. This thesis reports the findings of three studies that aim to understand how the base pressure is manipulated on vehicle like geometries by applying shape optimisations. The base pressure typically contributes approximately 30% of the overall vehicle drag on production vehicles and so presents an opportunity for significant drag saving. A fundamental One-Box model was used to investigate how changing fore-body drag can effect the base pressure and wake topology at varying ground clearances. It was found that at high ground clearances the total drag changes were generated by base pressure changes however when the model was lowered into ground effect the fore-body and skin friction drag produced significantly larger changes than the base pressure. Analysis of the unsteady results showed that with a thinner boundary layer over the model the unsteadiness in the wake was increased. A second study was then conducted on a generic vehicle geometry, the Windsor model, where the lower separation was manipulated through the use of different underbody profiles . As the lower boundary layer on the model was thickened the lower recirculation region grew and lowered the pressure on the base. This was also seen to increase the unsteadiness of the pressures recorded on the base when the upper and lower shear layers were of significantly different strengths. Finally, a rear end optimisation was conducted on the Windsor model using high aspect ratio tapers on the top and bottom trailing edges. It was seen that the amount of downwash or upwash created by the tapers acted on the wake balance which moved the impingement region on the base. This changed the near wall velocities of the wake flow and resulted in changing base pressures. Overall the work has shown that, by controlling the flow conditions at separation, the base pressure can be modified, particularly by altering the relative strengths of the upper and lower shear layers and the impingement location on the base.

Aerodynamics has always been a driving force in motorsport and road vehicle design and development, and continues to play an important role. A significant advancement in race car aerodynamics was the development of the vehicle underbody to produce downforce, in particular the implementation of the diffuser. This thesis concentrates on the performance flow mechanisms found in simple rear diffusers commonly seen in motorsport applications. There is little published work on these mechanisms, especially the influence of the more commonly used multiple-channel diffusers.

A busca por formas mais eficientes quanto ao arrasto aerodinâmico de veículos rodoviários resultou recentemente em uma maior quantidade de pesquisas para compreensão do escoamento sobre o veículo quando este apresenta um ângulo de escorregamento aerodinâmico diferente de zero. O presente trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma metodologia para análise linear de estabilidade do modelo dinâmico do veículo sob manobras de baixa severidade e considerando carregamentos aerodinâmicos. Um modelo dinâmico não-linear simplificado foi também desenvolvido utilizando dados de um veículo típico visando à comparação entre as metodologias. Ensaios experimentais em túnel de vento e simulações de fluidodinâmica computacional foram realizados utilizando-se uma geometria simplificada de um veículo visando à obtenção de valores dos carregamentos aerodinâmicos de força lateral e momento de guinada e à compreensão dos mecanismos de formação dos carregamentos aerodinâmicos. Os resultados obtidos mostram uma boa correlação entre os modelos linear e não-linear e relevante influência dos carregamentos aerodinâmicos de força lateral e momento de guinada na estabilidade estática do sistema. / The research for more efficient shapes regarding road vehicles aerodynamic drag resulted recently in an improved number of researches aiming at the understanding of the flow field over the vehicle when it has an aerodynamic slip angle different of zero. This work presents the development of a methodology for linear stability analysis of a vehicle dynamic model under low severity maneuvers and considering aerodynamic loads. A non-linear dynamic model has also been developed with information from a typical vehicle for comparison between the methodologies. Wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics simulation have been carried out with simplified vehicle geometry in order to measure the aerodynamic side force and yawing moment and provide information for the understanding of the mechanisms generating the aerodynamic loads. The results show a good correlation between the linear and non-linear models and a relevant influence of the aerodynamic side force and yawing moment on the static stability of the system.

Dentre as competições nas quais estudantes são desafiados a construir protótipos com finalidades específicas, está a de fazer um veículo que transporte uma pessoa e percorrera a maior distância com um litro de combustível. Um dos fatores que contribuem para o consumo é a resistência aerodinâmica, assim prever seus efeitos é essencial para um bom projeto. Nesse contexto o presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar de forma numérica e experimental o escoamento ao redor de um veículo de milhagem e calcular os coeficientes aerodinâmicos de arrasto e sustentação dessas duas formas. Também foi estudada a sensibilidade desses coeficientes ao número de Reynolds e, no caso do teste virtual, aos modelos de turbulência. Através dos resultados de simulações verificou-se que a porção frontal do veículo é a maior responsável pelo arrasto e pela sustentação negativa. Os coeficientes de arrasto caíram com o aumento do número de Reynolds tanto nos ensaios virtuais quanto nos experimentais. Na comparação entre os modelos de turbulência, k-E e k-w em suas formas padrão foram os que mais destoaram em relação aos outros apresentando valores de CD maiores. Os resultados experimentais apresentaram a mesma tendência dos numéricos, e ficaram mais próximos do k- padrão, mas acredita-se que um ângulo de ataque negativo do modelo devido à montagem tenha provocado um aumento no CD obtido experimentalmente. Os valores dos coeficientes de sustentação baixaram com o número de Reynolds nos testes numéricos e aumentaram nos ensaios experimentais. Nas simulações observou-se que a alta velocidade entre as rodas dianteiras devido à pequena distância entre o veículo e o piso era responsável por boa parte da sustentação negativa. Por questões de montagem não foi possível repetir esse efeito solo de forma similar nos experimentos. Os resultados numéricos de visualização do escoamento apresentaram boa concordância com os experimentais. / Among the many competitions in which students are challenged to build up prototypes with specific purposes there, is one in which the goal is to design a car to carry one person and make it go as long as it can with one liter of fuel. One of the factors that contribute for fuel consumption is the aerodynamic resistance, so to predict its effects is essential for a good design. In this context, the present work had as goals the numerical and experimental evaluation of flow around a Supermileage vehicle and to calculate its drag and lift coefficients in these both ways. It was also studied the sensitivity of these forces to Reynolds number and, in the virtual case, to turbulence models. Thanks to simulation results it was verified that the front part of the model is responsible for great part of drag and negative lift. The drag coefficients fell with the increase of Reynolds number in both numerical and experimental tests. In a comparison of turbulence models comparison, k-E and k-w in their standard forms presented higher CD values than the other models. Experimental CD results showed the same tendency of numerical ones, and were closer to standard k-, although it was believed that a negative angle of attack due to experimental assembly issues has made for a higher experimental CD. Lift coefficients values fell with the increase of Reynolds number in virtual analysis and grew in experimental tests. In the simulations it was observed that the high velocity between the two front wheels, due to the short distance between the vehicle and the ground, is responsible for a large portion of the negative lift. Owing to assembly issues it was not possible to reproduce this ground effect on experimental tests. Flow visualization results presented good agreement between experimental and numerical testing.

Dentre as competições nas quais estudantes são desafiados a construir protótipos com finalidades específicas, está a de fazer um veículo que transporte uma pessoa e percorrera a maior distância com um litro de combustível. Um dos fatores que contribuem para o consumo é a resistência aerodinâmica, assim prever seus efeitos é essencial para um bom projeto. Nesse contexto o presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar de forma numérica e experimental o escoamento ao redor de um veículo de milhagem e calcular os coeficientes aerodinâmicos de arrasto e sustentação dessas duas formas. Também foi estudada a sensibilidade desses coeficientes ao número de Reynolds e, no caso do teste virtual, aos modelos de turbulência. Através dos resultados de simulações verificou-se que a porção frontal do veículo é a maior responsável pelo arrasto e pela sustentação negativa. Os coeficientes de arrasto caíram com o aumento do número de Reynolds tanto nos ensaios virtuais quanto nos experimentais. Na comparação entre os modelos de turbulência, k-E e k-w em suas formas padrão foram os que mais destoaram em relação aos outros apresentando valores de CD maiores. Os resultados experimentais apresentaram a mesma tendência dos numéricos, e ficaram mais próximos do k- padrão, mas acredita-se que um ângulo de ataque negativo do modelo devido à montagem tenha provocado um aumento no CD obtido experimentalmente. Os valores dos coeficientes de sustentação baixaram com o número de Reynolds nos testes numéricos e aumentaram nos ensaios experimentais. Nas simulações observou-se que a alta velocidade entre as rodas dianteiras devido à pequena distância entre o veículo e o piso era responsável por boa parte da sustentação negativa. Por questões de montagem não foi possível repetir esse efeito solo de forma similar nos experimentos. Os resultados numéricos de visualização do escoamento apresentaram boa concordância com os experimentais. / Among the many competitions in which students are challenged to build up prototypes with specific purposes there, is one in which the goal is to design a car to carry one person and make it go as long as it can with one liter of fuel. One of the factors that contribute for fuel consumption is the aerodynamic resistance, so to predict its effects is essential for a good design. In this context, the present work had as goals the numerical and experimental evaluation of flow around a Supermileage vehicle and to calculate its drag and lift coefficients in these both ways. It was also studied the sensitivity of these forces to Reynolds number and, in the virtual case, to turbulence models. Thanks to simulation results it was verified that the front part of the model is responsible for great part of drag and negative lift. The drag coefficients fell with the increase of Reynolds number in both numerical and experimental tests. In a comparison of turbulence models comparison, k-E and k-w in their standard forms presented higher CD values than the other models. Experimental CD results showed the same tendency of numerical ones, and were closer to standard k-, although it was believed that a negative angle of attack due to experimental assembly issues has made for a higher experimental CD. Lift coefficients values fell with the increase of Reynolds number in virtual analysis and grew in experimental tests. In the simulations it was observed that the high velocity between the two front wheels, due to the short distance between the vehicle and the ground, is responsible for a large portion of the negative lift. Owing to assembly issues it was not possible to reproduce this ground effect on experimental tests. Flow visualization results presented good agreement between experimental and numerical testing.