AERODYNAMICS

IN CARS
SUBMITTED BY:
RAZI ISMAYIL
ROLL NO : 39
ME B

INTRODUCTION
The aerodynamics word comes from two Greek words:
aerios, concerning the air, and dynamis, which means
force.
Study of forces generated by motion of air on moving
body.
When objects move through air, forces are generated by
the relative motion between air and surfaces of the body,
study of these forces generated by air is called
aerodynamics.

HISTORY OF EVOLUTION OF
AERODYNAMICS IN CARS

DESIGNS IN EARLY 20th CENTURY:

cars with low speeds, no aerodynamic problems.

CARS IN THE EARLY 50s:

cars designed for big familys , complete negligence of
aerodynamics.

CARS AFTER 70s:

fuel crisis, need of economic designs, evolution of aerodynamics.

EVOLUTION OF CARS
A = frontal area, b = wheelbase, CD = drag coefficient

AERODYNAMIC FORCES ON
A BODY

LIFT

DRAG

WEIGHT

THRUST

LIFT

It is the sum of all fluid dynamic forces on a body

normal to the direction of external flow around the
body.
Lift is caused by Bernoullis effect
This creates a low pressure area over the long edge
of object as a result a low pressure region is formed
over the aerofoil and a high pressure region is
formed below the aerofoil, it is this difference in
pressure that creates the object to rise

DRAG

It is the sum of all external forces in the

direction of fluid flow, so it acts opposite to
the direction of the object.
In other words drag can be explained as
the force caused by turbulent airflow
around an object that opposes the
forward motion of the object through a
gas or fluid.

COEFFICIENT OF DRAG

Measure of
aerodynamic
efficiency.

WEIGHT

It is actually just the weight of the object

that is in motion.

Weight=mass*acceleration due to gravity

This weight has a significant effect on the

acceleration of the object.

THRUST

When a body is in motion a drag force is

created which opposes the motion of the
object .
thrust can be the force produce in
opposite direction to drag that is higher
than that of drag so that the body can
move through the fluid.

AERODYNAMIC IN CARS
PARTS AND DEVICES
FRONT

REAR

END

WINGS &
SPOILERS

END
SCOOPS

FRONT END

Rounding up the vertical and upper horizontal leading edges

on the front face.

The drag reduction of front spoiler is large if its use

combined with rounded leading edges.

Decrease frontal area.

REAR END
REAR VACUM
FLOW DETACHEMENT
TURBULANCE
TAPERING OF REAR PART
REAR SPOILERS

SCOOPS

ENGINE COOLING
INCREASESFLOW RATE
OF AIR

Scoops, or positive pressure intakes, are useful

when high volume air flow is desirable and almost
every type of race car makes use of these devices.

SPOILERS

Spoilers are used primarily on sedan-type race

cars.

They act like barriers to air flow, in order to build

up higher air pressure in front of the spoiler.

WINGS

PRODUCE
DOWNFORCE
REDUCE DRAG

METHODS TO EVALUATE
AERODYNAMICS IN CARS
WIND

TUNNELS

Research tool to study effect of air moving over a solid

object.

Trial and error process.

Special pressure paints for analysis.

Detailed analysis of air flow patterns.

Analyzing for the optimal design

WIND TUNNEL ANALYSIS

Fig: Experimental setup of wind tunnel

CFD

ANSYS, CATIA,ALIAS STUDIO

ANALYZE CHANGES DURING DESIGN PHASE AND

DEVELOPMENT

REDUCES TIME TO DEVELOP OPTIMAL DESIGN

ABLE TO STUDY INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS, MORE EFFECTIVE

CFD ANALYSIS

Figure: Result of CFD analysis

AERODYNAMIC IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CAR THAT WE ALREADY
OWN
Keep your vehicle washed and waxed
Remove mud flaps behind wheels
Place license plate out of air flow
Avoid roof-racks or carriers
Close windows, close sunroof

WHY WE NEED TO IMPROVE

AERODYNAMICS IN CARS
SPEED
FUEL EFFICIENCY
STABILITY
AESTHETICS
COMFORT

CONCLUSION
Earlier cars were poorly designed with heavy engines ,
protruding parts and rectangular Shapes due to which
they consumed large quantities of fuel and became
unaffordable all theses factors lead to the
development and need of aerodynamics in the design
of cars now it would be fair to say that all most all cars
are tested for getting the optimum aerodynamic
configuration.
Aerodynamics is the single biggest item we can
change - the biggest performance item on the car.

THANK YOU

REFERENCES

Aerodynamics of Race Cars:Joseph Katz, Department of Aerospace

Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
92182

Prof. Tams Lajos,Budapest University of Technology and

Economics,Department of Fluid Mechanics.

Aerodynamic performance assessment of sedan and hatchback car

by experimental method and simulation by computational fluid
dynamics- a review Bhagirath zala1, Dr. Pravin P.Rathod2, prof.
Sorathiya Arvind s.3

Experimental and computational drag analysis of sedan and

square-back car Bhavini Bijlani, Dr. Pravin P.Rathod,, prof. Arvind s.
Sorthiya.

Review of Research on Vehicles Aerodynamic Drag Reduction

Methods : Mohd Nizam Sudin, Mohd Azman Abdullah, Shamsul
Anuar Shamsuddin, Faiz Redza Ramli, Musthafah Mohd Tahir