Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Why Does it Matter?
i At high speed aerodynamic
effects play an enormous
role in car performance.
i By taking advantage of the
effects of lift racecars have
been able increase their
corning ability, which in
turn decreases lap time.
i Also by minimizing drag
they can maximize the top
speed of the car.
Source: Race Car Aerodynamics, J.
Katz, 1995
Model Testing in a Wind Tunnel
i We used a 1/12 scale
model of a NASCAR,
because full-
full-scale
prototype testing is more
expensive and time
consuming
i By running the model in
wind tunnel at different
velocities we are able to
model different actual car
velocities, gathering
relevant information
concerning aerodynamics.
Source: Union College
Model Testing
i Problems With Model Testing
i Not possible to match Reynolds Number
i Wind Tunnel cannot reach necessary speeds
i If it could, Mach number would be too large and weƞd have to
worry about compressibility
i Some ways to fix this problem are:
i A larger wind tunnel with larger models
i A different testing fluid with a higher density
i Pressurizing and/or adjusting the air temp in the wind tunnel
i Or in our case running the wind tunnel at several velocities and
extrapolating to determine useful information.
The Experiments
i Week 1- Surface Pressure measurements
1-
M
þ
þ
þ
Shows the Coefficient of Lift compared to the Reynolds Number of the experiment
Results - Drag
M
M
Displays the coefficient of drag on the car compared to the Reynolds
Number of the Experiment.
Particle Image Velocimetry
i PIV uses the wind tunnel
along with a double pulsed
laser technique to measure
instantaneous velocity and
to map out the flow field.
i This provides a visual
representation of the flow
along the vehicle,
streamlines and a
qualitative representation Source: Brad Bruno
of the velocities.
Results - PIV
i Reduction in aerodynamic
drag by streamlining the
shape of the vehicle
i Increase the down force,
negative lift, to increase
cornering speeds
i Raw hp vs. streamlining
The Proof is in the PIV
i The General
Lee has a box
like shape
which results in
a larger Drag
than a rounder
shape
Cd:
Cube = 2.2
Rounded Cube =
1.2
Sphere = 0.3
Triangle = 1.5
Charger vs NASCAR
Drag on Charger vs. NASCAR
M
M
D
D
D
D
D
DDDD DDDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD DDDD
ë
Spoiler Effect
i The addition of a spoiler
on the car results in
greater downward force
(or negative lift) which
results in better
Source: Images.google.com
cornering
i The addition of a spoiler
also increases the
amount of drag on the
car
With or Without Spoiler
M
M
þ
þ
ë
Why Drivers Draft
i Behind the car is a
low pressure/low
velocity pocket
which aids in the
reduction of drag
on the following car
i This increases
efficiency and speed
for both cars
Drafting
Courtesy of trickelfan.com
What we learned
i The strides made in streamlining designs of cars
aided in decreasing the drag force along a
vehicle
i Spoilers create a larger down force on the
vehicle which helps in keeping the wheels in
solid contact with the ground at high speeds and
cornering
i These concepts together help increase speeds
and lap times which is the overall goal
Is the data gathered useful?