Aerodynamics Analysis on Solar Car Body Based on FLUENT

Jia Qian, Song Jie

Transportation Industry Key Laboratory Shandong Jiaotong University Jinan, China JQZHY@163.com AbstractThe development of solar car has a pivotal role of
easing the energy crisis. Because solar car has a low power, it is necessary to have a body with a lower aerodynamic drag coefficient. Along with development of computer technology, computational fluid dynamics is also getting more and more important in the automobile aerodynamics research. In this atricle, We created a solar car body model with 1:1 using CATIA and then we a built a three-dimensional flow field numerical simulation model. Finally, we calculated drag coefficient and aerodynamic lift coefficient using FLUENT. The design of solar car body is verified reasonable and relevant datas are provided for the design of solar car body in the future. Keywords-aerodynamics analysis; solar car, CATIA; FLUENT

I.

INTRODUCTION

Because of zero pollution, energy-rich, representing a new level of vehicle development, solar car is known as the "future car." Solar car has no engine, chassis, drive, gearbox and other components, it is composed of the battery board, storage appliances, and motor. [1]. Aerodynamic drag will be the largest driving resistance replacing the other resistance for the normal car when its speed is more than 60-70 km/h. For the small power solar car, body design with less aerodynamic drag coefficient will be the focus. Traditional method of automotive aerodynamics study is wind tunnel testing which requires higher quality facilities, longer reaserch cycle and higher funds. With the development of computer technology, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method in the automotive aerodynamic research is increasingly important. CFD method has a short cycle, low cost, no real vehicle models and other characteristics. This text will make a three-dimensional numerical model of a solar car using CFD methods, and will analyze its aerodynamic shape and performance combining with the aerodynamic theory. First, a 1:1 model of the solar car body is made using CATIA surface modeling and then FLUENT simulation is made using CFD software. This can provide the basis for the design of the ideal solar body in the future. II.
BUILDING SOLAR CAR BODY MODEL

Axlelbase (mm): 2240 Wheelbase (mm): 1200 Maximum grade ability: 25% Air resistance coefficient: 0.3 Rolling resistance coefficient: 0.01 Since energy provided by sola car is limited, we must strive to reduce air resistance which is the main ingredient of driving resistance in order to ensure the power of solar car. So in the design of body shape, we must follow the "streamline" principles and have to protrude the cockpit for the driver's physical needs and maneuverability. CATIA software has a strong surface modeling function. In the process of designing the body shape, we should ensure the continuity of the curve, the continuity of curvature of the lines and continuity in curvature change for the surface sleek. Finally completed solar car body model is shown as Fig.1. III. CFD ANALYSIS Computational fluid dynamics (referred to as CFD) analyzes the physical phenomena system containing the fluid flow by numerical calculation and computer image display. CFD is a method to discretize control equations of three-dimensional turbulent flow field around the car to a series of grid nodes by a computational mathematics algorithm and to find the discrete numerical solution. First, build geometry of the flow area, border type, and mesh generation using pre-processing software GAMBIT and output the format for the FLUENT solver. Then solve the flow area calculations using the FLUENT solver and calculate post-processing results. FLUENT software solution is shown as follows: Determine the geometry, generate computational grid and define the boundary conditions (using the meshing tool GAMBIT); Enter and check the grid, select the solver (2D or 3D, etc.); Select the solution of the equations: laminar or turbulent (or inviscid flow), chemical composition or chemical reactions, heat transfer models; Determine the material properties of the fluid to determine the boundary type and boundary conditions; Set the monitor; Flow field initialization; Solve the calculation; Post-processing results.

The basic parameters of the solar car are as follows: L W H (mm): 5000 1800 1050

Geometric Model The previous model of the solar car body made by CATIA is imported into GAMBIT, and then a closed shell is made using GAMBIT's modeling commands, finally the body is made of an entity shown as Fig.2. B. Determine the Computational Domain Flow inlet should be set a certain distance away from the body for uniform and stable stream, and for the full development of the automobile wake the rear body should maintain an appropriate distance from the exit to avoid the backflow calculation because of the too small calculation region [2]. The calculation region of this study is set about six times the car width (12m) in front of car, 15 times width (28m) behind the car, 5 times the height (5m) above the car, about five times the width (9m )besides the car. C. Meshing The simulation meshes with Gambit2.3.16. The surrounding area of solar car is calculated with tetrahedral mesh which can improve accuracy, make more realistic simulation of airflow. The areas away from the solar car is calculated with hexahedral mesh which can reduce the computation time. In this case the grids of surrounding area of the solar car are refined. The size of the region is that 1m in front of the car, 0.5m above the body , extending to the edge of the computational domain. While considering the full development of the rear wake, the density body region is stretched to tail double the car length, so that the accuracy of the simulation area around the body is improved. Using the grid coarsening processing the calculation region away from solar car is treated so as to shorten the calculation time. In practice, due to computer hardware conditions the grid cell around solar car area is selected as Tet / Hybrid (mainly composed of the tetrahedral grid, individual locations can be hexahedral, wedge-shaped vertebral body or body). Grid type is T Grid (mixed grid), interval size is 50 and the grid number is over 540,000. The grid cell away from the solar car calculation area is selected as the hex (hexahedral element), the grid type is the Map (regular structure grid), interval size (specify the grid spacing) is 100, the grid number is about 940,000. The total number of the computational mesh is over 1.48 million. The calculation domain is shown as Fig.3. D. Set Boundary Conditions 1) Inlet boundry Inlet boundary is set at speed entry, v = 30m / s, that is 108km / h. Realizable k- model is choosed in this simulation, the turbulent kinetic energy k and turbulence dissipation rate will be calculated. And these two values associate with the turbulence intensity I and characteristic length d. The Calculation process is as follows:

A.

Re =

v l

30m / s; l characteristic length (m), in this case solar car width taking 1.8m.

In the formula, Re reynolds number; v average fluid velocity in cross-section (m / s), in this case taking

(2)

I = 0.16 Re 8 (3) I In the formula, turbulence intensity. 3 (4) k = (v I ) 2 2

In the formula, kturbulent kinetic energy.

= C

3 4

k l

3 2

(5)

In the formula, turbulence dissipation rate; turbulent experience factor, taking 0.09. The known values were substituted into the above formula, we obtain: 0.0639m2/s3 k0.788m2/s2 2) Outlet boundry Outlet boundary is set at pessure export, pressure at export relative to the distant flow is zero, therefore the value of static pressure is taken as zero [4]. The value of K and are the same as the entrance boundary. 3) Symmetric boundry The symmetrical plane is set as SYMMETRY boundary conditions, that shows that the results of the computational domain are on the face of that. 4) Wall conditions All the outer surfaces of the solar car (except the symmetry plane) are selected and defined as wall conditions, and named body. The other side of the computational domain dont need to be defined. The software will automatically define them as wall conditions. 5) Overrall boundry conditions All of the entire computational domain entities are selected and defined as the fluid, and named air. E. Simulation and Analysis Results After about 2300 steps iterative calculation, the aerodynamic drag coefficient CD of solar car is 0.167, aerodynamic lift coefficient CL is 0.229. The following is monitor display of the iterative process, as well as pressure contours, velocity contours and velocity vectors by the post-processing of FLUENT software. a) Monitor display in literation is shown in Fig.4. b) Pressure distribution nephogram of body surface and the vertical symmetric plane is shown in Fig.5. c) Velocity distribution nephogram of longitudinal symmetric plane is shown in Fig.6. d) Velocity vector of body surface and vertical symmetric plane is shown in Fig.7. It can be seen from the above that the air is suddenly blocked when the stream encounters with the front, so that the rate of flow is greatly reduced, and thus a positive

In the formula, kinematic viscositym2/s viscosity coefficientNs/m2 o rPas, taking 1.7894 10-5 N s/m2 at room temperature taking 1.225kg/m3 at room temperature.

(1

air

density,

pressure area is formed at the front. Then the airflow flows around the respective upper and lower surface. Air hampers again in its front to form a small zone of positive pressurezone when flowing through the cockpit glass. Almost all other air in the car body is attached to the surface to form negative pressure because of faster flowing. The airflow is blocked through the bottom of the wheel cover and positive pressure area is formed in front of the wheel cover. Positive pressure area of front cover is larger than the rear cover and pressure is higher. Positive pressure area of front cover is merged with positive pressure area of head. Air flow between the wheel cover form negative pressure zone because space becomes smaller and flow speeds up. IV.
CONCLUSION

aerodynamic lift coefficient are relatively small, indicating that this design of the solar car styling has good aerodynamics. ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work was supported by the Program of Natural and Science Funds of Shandong Province (ZR2009FL014 2009ZRB01436). It was also supported by Research Fund of Shandong Jiaotong University (Z201106). REFERENCES
[1] [2] Ma Haijun, Zu-Hua Jiang, Zhu Xun-sheng. Solar car. Solar, 2003, (3), 27 - 30. Li Hong, Chen Jing-core, Xu Jing. The Bus Digital Body Design on CATIA V5 Software Environment. Bus Technology and Research, 2004,26 (6) :4-6. Wang Fujun, Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis -- Principles and Applications of CFD Software. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2004. Liang Jianyong, Liang. Comparison of Commonly Used k- Turbulence Model in CFD Analysis of Cars Flow Field. Automotive Engineering, 2008. Werner FFrik S.Aerodynamic Optimization of the Opel Calibra 1TC Racing Car Using Experiments and Computational Fluid Dynamics. SAE Paper 980040. Zhang Wen-jian Zhang Qi,The Reverse Design of Auto Body Based on CATIA V5. Computer Applied Technology, 2010(7):4850.

In this paper, a model of solar car body is bulit using CATIA software and then the flow field around the solar car is simulated using the FLUENT software. In the calculation process, according to their own characteristics of two kinds of discrete format of first-order upwind and second-order upwind, first first-order upwind is used, after a certain number of iterations, second-order upwind scheme is used to improve the accuracy and convergence of the calculation and to reduce the computation time. But second order upwind scheme is difficult to converge, the final iteration is made by a first-order upwind scheme. The resulting aerodynamic drag coefficient and the

[3]

[4]

[5]

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Figure 1. Finite element model of solar car body

Figure 2 . Body model

Figure.3. Calculation domain

Figure 4. Monitor display results

Figure 5. Pressure distribution nephogram of body surface and the vertical symmetric plane

Figure 6. Velocity distribution nephogram of longitudinal symmetric plane

Figure 7. Velocity vector of body surface and vertical symmetric plane