Effects of cornering conditions on the aerodynamic characteristics of a high-performance vehicle and its rear wing

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorRijns, Steven
dc.contributor.authorTeschner, Tom-Robin
dc.contributor.authorBlackburn, Kim
dc.contributor.authorBrighton, James
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-23T14:46:44Z
dc.date.available2024-04-23T14:46:44Z
dc.date.issued2024-04-09
dc.description.abstractThis study investigates the aerodynamic behavior of a high-performance vehicle and the interaction with its rear wing in straight-line and steady-state cornering conditions. Analyses are performed with Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes based computational fluid dynamics simulations using a moving reference frame and overset mesh technique, validated against moving ground wind tunnel experiments. The results indicate a significant 20% decrease in downforce and 35% increase in drag compared to straight-line conditions at the smallest considered corner radius of 2.9 car-lengths. Downforce losses primarily stem from performance deficits on the underbody and rear wing, alongside elevated upper body lift. Drag penalties mainly result from additional pressure drag induced by a recirculation wake vortex generated behind the vehicle's inboard side. The vehicle's lateral pressure distribution is also affected, introducing a centripetal force that increases with smaller corner radii. Additionally, analyses of the rear wing reveal alternations of its aerodynamic characteristics in cornering, particularly impacting vortical flow and suction on the lower surface. Throughout the operating conditions, the rear wing's individual downforce contribution falls off beyond its stall angle. At higher angles of attack, the rear wing primarily generates downforce by pressurizing the vehicle's upper surfaces, but its interaction with the near-wake leads to a substantially increased pressure drag. Overall, these findings provide crucial insights into the intricate aerodynamic interactions of high-performance vehicles in diverse operating conditions as well as form an essential foundation for future research on static and active aerodynamic designs in the pursuit to optimize vehicle performance in dynamic driving conditions.en_UK
dc.identifier.citationRijns S, Teschner TR, Blackburn K, Brighton J. (2024) Effects of cornering conditions on the aerodynamic characteristics of a high-performance vehicle and its rear wing. Physics of Fluids, Volume 36, Issue 4, April 2024, Article number 045119en_UK
dc.identifier.issn1070-6631
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1063/5.0204204
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/21252
dc.language.isoen_UKen_UK
dc.publisherAmerican Institute of Physics (AIP)en_UK
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International*
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectVehicle technologyen_UK
dc.subjectComputational fluid dynamicsen_UK
dc.subjectAerodynamicsen_UK
dc.subjectFlow simulationsen_UK
dc.titleEffects of cornering conditions on the aerodynamic characteristics of a high-performance vehicle and its rear wingen_UK
dc.typeArticleen_UK
dcterms.dateAccepted2024-03-22

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Effects_of_cornering_conditions-2024.pdf
Size:
2.03 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.63 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Staff publications (SATM)