Numerical Analysis of Flow over Car Spoiler Kriengsit Theera-apisakkul Computational Mechanics Laboratory Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty

of Engineering Kasetsart Uni ersity !", #haholyothin $%&, 'atu(ak, )angkok *"+"" Tel& " ,+-, .!!! e/t& *.-kriengsit0t1hotmail&com Cha2alit Kittichaikarn Computational Mechanics Laboratory Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Kasetsart Uni ersity !", #haholyothin $%&, 'atu(ak, )angkok *"+"" Tel& " ,+-, .!!! e/t& *.", fengclk1ku&ac&th Abstract 3ero%ynamic characteristics of racing car is of significant interest in re%ucing car racing acci%ents %ue to 2in% loa%ing an% in re%ucing the fuel consumption& 4n the limitations of con entional 2in% tunnel e/periment an% rapi% %e elopments in computer har%2are, consi%erable efforts ha e been in este% in the last %eca%e to stu%y ehicle aero%ynamics computationally& This paper presents a numerical simulation of flo2 aroun% racing car 2ith spoiler positione% at the rearen% using commercial flui% %ynamics soft2are FLUE5T& The stu%y focuses on CFD-base% lift an% %rag pre%iction on the car bo%y an% on impro ement in the %esign %ue to spoiler configurations& 3 three %imensional computer mo%el of a racing car 2as use% as the base mo%el in this stu%y& 6poiler 2as positione% on the rearen% at - %ifferent heights an% 2as a%(uste% to 2in% collision angles of -*" to -, %egrees at , %egree increments& The 2in% spee% in this stu%y ranges from ." km7hr to ,"" km7hr& From the results obtaine%, it 2as foun% that at the certain height of spoiler an% 2in% collision angle, the change in CD is negligible but CL changes significantly as the spee% of the racing car increases& Furthermore, the alues of C D an% CL increase as the height of the spoiler %ecreases an% the angle of 2in% collision increases& 1. Introduction 3t present, mo%ifie% car racing becomes more popular aroun% the 2orl%& 3ero%ynamic characteristics of mo%ifie% racing car is therefore ine itably of significant interest& 8ell %esign of racing car ob iously pro i%es a re%uction in car racing acci%ent an% fuel consumption& )ecause e/perimental stu%y on aero%ynamic of ehicle is cost effecti e, consi%erable efforts ha e been in este% to stu%y ehicle aero%ynamics computationally& )asara *+++ presente% calculations of the flo2 aroun% %ifferent shapes of ehicles& 9n his stu%y, %ifferent meshes, %ifferencing schemes an% turbulence mo%els 2ere use% to a oi% possible mislea%ing in pre%iction analysis& )asara *+++ sho2e% that the results 2ere encouraging for the $eynol%s-6tress mo%el as

importance of ha ing anisotropic formulation of turbulence& The :uality of k- results is certainly ery case %epen%ent& 9t can only acci%entially pro%uce goo% results 2hich may happen 2hen the flo2 %oes not separate or slightly separates from the surfaces an% 2here ertices are present on such positions that ha e no strong influence on the pressure %istribution on the car& Kya2 ,""presente% CFD computer simulation 2ith FLUE5T on the flo2 aroun% a pickup truck mo%el& Kya2 ,""- foun% that by a%%ing a co er o er the be% of the pickup truck can impro e pressure reco ery at the back of the tailgate an% hence helps to re%uce %rag& This paper presents a numerical analysis of flo2 aroun% mo%ifie% racing car 2ith spoiler positione% at the rearen% using commercial flui% %ynamics soft2are FLUE5T& The stu%y focuses on CFD-base% lift an% %rag pre%iction on the car bo%y an% an impro ement in the %esign %ue to spoiler configurations& 2. CFD Model Setup Figure * an% Figure , sho2 ;-D computer mo%els of racing car an% spoiler respecti ely& <irtual olume * 2as create% using this racing car mo%el, cut along its symmetry plane an% insi%e a small rectangular bo/& =eometry of the 2in% tunnel 2as a%%e% aroun% irtual olume * an% name% irtual olume ,& )oth irtual olume * an% olume , 2ere create% in 6oli%8orks an% ha e the same symmetry plane 2ith the racing car mo%el as sho2n in Figure ;& 3 fine tetrahe%ral mesh 2as create% in =ambit aroun% irtual olume *& This fine mesh is necessary to be able to capture aero%ynamic effects aroun% this important region& 3 si>e function in =ambit 2as applie% to irtual olume , for a%%ing more cells nearer to the racing car an% lesser cells to2ar%s the less important areas at the outer e%ges of the 2in% tunnel& Figure - sho2s the resulting mesh looking in three %imensions& )oun%ary con%itions for the faces an% olumes 2ere configure% in =ambit& The elocity of the air at the inlet 2as set in the range of ." km7hr to ,"" km7hr& The outlet boun%ary 2as set as pressure outlet " #a& 6urface of the racing car 2as set as 2all an% the cut half surface 2as set as symmetry as sho2n in Figure -& The %ensity an% iscosity of air are *&,,! kg7 m ; an% *&?.+- *"-! kg7ms respecti ely& 3s suggeste% by )asara *+++, the $eynol%s-6tress mo%el 2as use% to capture turbulent flo2& $esi%ual con%itions 2ere all set to *" -; for con ergence criteria& 6poiler 2as positone% at the rearen% at - %ifferent heights an% 2as a%(uste% to 2in% collision angles of -*" to -, %egrees at , %egree increments&

Figure * 4riginal 6oli%8orks mo%el of racing car <irtual olume ,

Figure , 4riginal 6oli%8orks mo%el of spoiler 6ymmetry 9nlet

4utlet $acing car surface Figure - )oun%ary con%ition of racing car mo%el

<irtual olume * Figure ; 3ir aroun% racing car

. !esults .1 "ffects of racin# car speed on dra# coefficient $CD% and lift coefficient $C&%.

Figure ! sho2s the ariations of CD o er the racing car spee% ranges from ." km7hr to ,"" km7hr at the 2in% collision angle of " %egree an% the spoiler height of h7@ A "&! an% h7@ A * 2here h is the height from the rearen% to the spoiler an% @ is the height from the rearen% to the roof of the racing car& 9t 2as foun% from this figure that the change in C D is negligible as the spee% of the racing car increases no matter 2hat the spoiler height is&

0.500 0.480 0.460 0.440 0.420 CD 0.400 0.380 0.360 0.340 0.320 0.300 0 50 100 150 200 250 Velocity (km/hr) h/H = 0.5 h/H = 1

Figure ! <ariation of CD o er spee% range of racing car& @o2e er the %o2n2ar% force acting on the racing car 2ith the spoiler at the rearen% increases significantly as the spee% of the racing car increases& This fact also applies to the case of %ifferent spoiler height at the same 2in% collision angle as sho2n in Figure B&

-0.600 -0.620 -0.640 -0.660 -0.680 CL -0.700 -0.720 -0.740 -0.760 -0.780 -0.800 Velocity (km/hr) h/H = 0.5 h/H = 1 0 50 100 150 200 250

Figure B <ariation of CL o er spee% range of racing car&

.2 "ffects of spoiler 'ei#'t on CD and C& 9t is clear from Figure ? that C D %ecreases as the spoiler height increases for any alue of racing car spee%& Figure . an% Figure + illustrate the elocity %istribution o er the racing car for the spoiler height of h7@ A "&,! an% h7@ A * respecti ely& From both figures, it 2as foun% that there are recirculation >ones behin% the rearen% of the racing car& )y comparing Figure . an% Figure +, the recirculation >one behin% the rearen% of racing car 2ith spoiler heigh h7@ A "&,! is clearly larger& @ence the pressure behin% the rearen% of the racing car is also lo2er as sho2n in Figure **& This contributes to greater pressure %ifference bet2een the front an% rearen% of the racing car& Therefore at the same spee% an% 2in% collision angle, the racing car 2ith lo2er spoiler height e/periences higher %rag or CD&

"&!" "&-+ "&-. "&-? "&-B "&-! "&-"&-; "&-, "&-* "&-" " "&,! "&! '() "&?! *

." km7hr *"" km7hr *," km7hr *-" km7hr *B" km7hr *." km7hr ,"" km7hr

CD

Figure ? <ariation of CD o er the range of spoiler height

Figure . <elocity %istirbution o er racing car Figure + <elocity %istribution o er racing car mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% at h7@ A "&,! at h7@A * 9t shoul% be note% from Figure *" that C L %ecreases as the height of the spoiler increases in%epen%ently of racing car spee%& Figure ** an% Figure *, sho2 the pressure %istribution o er the racing car mo ing at the spee% of ,"" km7hr 2ith the spoiler height of h7@ A "&,! an% h7@ A * respecti ely& 9t 2as sho2n in Figure ** that the pressures o er the rearen% of the racing car is smaller compare% to those plotte% in Figure *,& This contributes to lo2er %o2nforce o er the racing car at the same spee% an% 2in% collision angle&

'() -"&!" -"&!! " -"&B" -"&B! -"&?" C& -"&?! -"&." -"&.! -"&+" -"&+! -*&""
"&,! "&! "&?! *

." km7hr *"" km7hr *," km7hr *-" km7hr *B" km7hr *." km7hr ,"" km7hr

Figure *" <ariation of CL o er the range of spoiler height

Figure ** Contours of pressure o er racing car mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% at h7@ A "&,!

Figure *, Contours of pressure o er racing car mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% at h7@A *

. "ffects of wind collision an#les on CD and C& 9t is clear from Figure *; that C D increase as the angle of 2in% collision increases& )y comparing the elocity %istributions plotte% in Figure *- an% Figure *!, it 2as foun% that at a particular spoiler height the spoiler that posses smaller angle of 2in% collision gi es higher %rag an% CD& This is %ue to the fact that 2ith smaller angle of 2in% collision, the spoiler 2oul% creates smaller recirculation >one behin% the rearen% of the racing car& This implies to higher pressure behin% spoiler but lo2er pressure behin% the rearen% of the racing car&

0.6

0.55

0.5

0.45

0.4 h/H = 0.5 0.35 h/H = 0.75

0.3 -12 -10 -8 -6 Angle (degree) -4 -2 0

Figure *; <ariation of CD o er the range of 2in% collision angle

Figure *- <elocity %istirbution o er racing car mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% at -, %egree of 2in% collision angle an% h7@ A "&,!

Figure *! <elocity %istirbution o er racing car mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% at -*" %egree of 2in% collision angle an% h7@ A "&,!

Moreo er Figure *B sho2s that CL increases as the angle of 2in% collision increases& 3lso from the contours plot of pressure as sho2n in Figure *? an% Figure *., it is clear that the pressure %istribution o er the rearen% of the racing car is higher for the 2in% collision angle of C, %egree than that of -*" %egree& This therefore contributes to higher %o2nforce to the racing car

CD

Angle (degree) -12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2

-0.6 0 -0.65

-0.7

-0.75

-0.8

CL h/H = 0.5 h/H = 0.75

-0.85

-0.9

Figure *B <ariation of CL o er the range of 2in% collision angle

Figure *? Contours of pressure o er racing car Figure *. Contours of pressure o er racing car mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% at mo ing at ,"" km7hr 2ith spoiler positione% at -, %egree of 2in% collision angle an% h7@ A "&! -*" %egree of 2in% collision angle an% h7@A "&!

*. Conclusions Computational Flui% %ynamics simulation using FLUE5T to pre%ict flo2 aroun% mo%ifie% racing car has been achie e%& 9t is clear from the results obtaine% that at a certain height of spoiler an% 2in% collision angle, the change in C D is negligible as the spee% of the racing car increases& @o2e er the %o2n2ar% force acting on the racing car 2ith the spoiler at the rearen%

increases significantly lo2er as the spee% of the racing car increases& Moreo er the lo2er spoiler height ten%s to gi es both higher CD an% CL& Finally it 2as foun% that at a particular racing spee% an% spoiler height, CD an% CL increase as the angle of 2in% collision increases& Ac+nowled#ement The authors 2oul% like to thank the gra%uate school, Kasetsart Uni ersity for the financially support throughout the research 2ork& !eferences D*E )& )asara, 5umerical 6imulation of Turbulent 8akes aroun% a <ehicle, F36ME Flui%s Engineering Di ision 6ummer MeetingG, California, U63, *+++ D,E 'eff Maung Kya2, Computational 3nalysis of the Flo2 about a #ickup Truck Mo%el, Michigan, U63, ,""-&

*"