Influences of Body Simplification on Aerodynamic Drag of a Sedan Under Different Rim Design Conditions

Abstract:

By means of computational fluid dynamics, this paper studies the effects of body simplification on the aerodynamic drag of a sedan under different rim design conditions. First, the numerical method is verified in a wind tunnel experiment. Then, the grille and wheel housings of the detailed sedan model are sealed while its bottom is flattened. The results show that the drag varies and the flow field around the wheels as well as at the bottom also obviously differs after simplification. Finally, the detailed parts inside the engine bay are simplified while the grille and the detailed bottom are kept. The results show that the drag is also very sensitive to the simplification inside the engine bay. Therefore, great care should be taken in body simplification when optimizing the wheels for lowering the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle.

Key words:vehicle aerodynamics;computational fluid dynamics;simplification of vehicle body;rim design