Drag reduction by application of aerodynamic devices in a race car

Abstract

Abstract In this era of fast-depleting natural resources, the hike in fuel prices is ever-growing. With stringent norms over environmental policies, the automotive manufacturers are on a voyage to produce efficient vehicles with lower emissions. High-speed cars are at a stake to provide uncompromised performance but having strict rules over emissions drives the companies to approach through a different route to keep the demands of performance intact. One of the most sought-after ways is to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicles. Drag force is one of the major setbacks when it comes to achieving high speeds when the vehicle is in motion. This research aims to examine the effects of different add on devices on the vehicle to reduce drag and make the vehicle aerodynamically streamlined. A more streamlined vehicle will be able to achieve high speeds and consequently, the fuel economy is also improved. The three-dimensional car model is developed in SOLIDWORKS v17. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is performed to understand the effects of these add on devices. CFD is carried out in the ANSYS™ 17.0 Fluent module. Drag Coefficient (CD), Lift Coefficient (CL), Drag Force and Lift Force are calculated and compared in different cases. The result of the simulations was analyzed and it was observed that different devices posed several different functionalities, but maximum drag reduction was found in the case of GT with spoiler and diffuser with a maximum reduction of 16.53%.

Keywords

• Aerodynamics
• CFD
• Drag force
• Drag coefficient
• High speed car