Indexed in
Numerical Study of Flow over Ahmed Body and a Road Vehicle and the Change in Aerodynamic Characteristics Caused by Rear Spoiler
ABSTRACT
With high-speed automobiles much more common nowadays, reducing the lift coefficient to enhance stability on the road is no longer just a concern for race cars. Spoilers are one of the well-known devices for producing down force on a moving vehicle. The aim of this study was to simulate three-dimensional turbulent flow over both a simple car model and a real road vehicle. Flow pattern and the results for aerodynamic forces were in good agreement with experimental results. In addition, the same method was used to investigate the effect of numerous rear-spoilers on lift and drag coefficients of the models. We obtained significant reduction in lift and drag on the models. The popular k−ω SST turbulence model was used to assess aerodynamic forces, as well as pressure and velocity distribution. This study provides a good comparison between different types of spoilers, making it easier to determine an optimum model.