David Söderblom

Development of a Model Scale Heat Exchanger for Wind Tunnel Models of Road Vehicles

During the development of the aerodynamic properties of fore coming road vehicles down scaled models are often used in the initial phase. However, if scale models are to be utilised even further in the aerodynamic development they have to include geometrical representatives of most of the components found in the real vehicle. As the cooling package is one of the biggest single generators of aerodynamic drag the heat exchangers are essential to include in a wind tunnel model. However, due mainly to limitations in manufacturing techniques it is complicated to make a down scaled heat exchanger and instead functional dummy heat exchangers have to be developed for scaled wind tunnel models. In this work a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code has been used to show that it is important that the simplified heat exchanger model has to be of comparable size to that of the full scale unit. Based on the findings of the CFD simulations a physical model of a heat exchanger was developed and presented in this article. The model heat exchanger features realistic properties with respect to flow resistance and flow guiding.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Wheel Housing Aerodynamics on Heavy Trucks

Wheel and underbody aerodynamics have become important topics in the search to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the heavy trucks. This study aims to investigate, experimentally as well as numerically, the local flow field around the wheels and in the wheel housing on a heavy truck; and how different approaches to modelling the wheel rotation in CFD influences the results. Emphasis is on effects due to ground simulation, and both moving ground and wheel rotation were requirements for this study. A 1:4-scale model of part of a heavy truck geometry has been developed. During the model design numerical simulations were used to optimise the shape, in order to replicate the flow field near the wheel of a complete truck. This was done by changing the flow angles of the incoming and exiting flows, and by keeping the mass flow rates in to, and out of, the wheel housing at the same ratios as in a reference full size vehicle. To reduce blockage effects, the model was sectioned to reduce both height and width. In the experiments, pressure sensors and static pressure taps located in the wheel housing were utilised, and the simulations replicated the boundary conditions of the wind tunnel experiments, both in terms of the geometry of the model and wind tunnel as well as the modelling of the ground simulation. It was found that the wheel wake structures changed significantly when ground simulation was utilised. The main outflow through the wheel housing was influenced by the wheel rotation and took place further upstream, which resulted in large differences in the flow field downstream of the wheel. The influence of different strategies for modelling the wheel rotation in CFD was investigated and it was found that the Sliding Mesh approach was the most accurate method.

Improving the Cooling Airflow of an Open Wheeled Race Car

In this case study the cooling airflow of an existing open-wheeled racecar has been improved with the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics. The race team in context had at several occasions experienced overheating of their racecar and was looking for ways to improve the cooling performance without changing the bodywork radically. As the car is used for autocross events on tight and twisty courses it spends most of a lap in yawed condition. Therefore, a novel approach was taken to model these yawed conditions with the numerical method. The simulation was based on the fully detailed race car. Through the study it was possible to locate problem areas, and hence, give indications to where the bodywork should be modified. With subtle changes to the bodywork the cooling performance of the car was significantly improved and the drag kept at the same level.

Wheel Housing Aerodynamics on Heavy Trucks

Modern trucks have a reasonably optimised cabshape, and there exist several OEM and aftermarket devices for drag reduction for heavy trucks as well. To further reduce the aerodynamic drag major changes to the current layout of the vehicle are required, or the focus must be shifted from the cab and tractor trailer gap to other regions of the vehicle. The drag of the underbody, including wheel housings, wheels and engine compartment, represents a significant proportion of the aerodynamic drag and there has not been much investigation in this specific area on heavy trucks. To be able to reduce the fuel consumption and to fulfil the legislated emission standards for heavy trucks it is important to take all areas of the vehicle under consideration, and even though the individual improvements may be small, the total drag reduction will be substantial. In order to study the flow close to the vehicle underbody it is important to utilise the correct boundary conditions, that is, moving ground and rotating wheels. This work has focused on the flow in the front wheel housings. The flow field around the front wheels under the influence of ground simulation on a heavy truck of standard European configuration was investigated using numerical simulations. The in- and outflow to the wheel housing was located and the vortices originating from the front wheels were identified. This information was then used to identify which areas of the wheel housing having the greatest potential for aerodynamic improvements by changing the front wheel housing design. Furthermore, several wheel housing design parameters were defined, and their influence on the flow field and aerodynamic drag were investigated. Examples of these parameters are the shape of the wheel housing opening and implementation of wheel housing ventilation. It was found that there is potential for reducing the aerodynamic drag by applying these geometric changes to the wheel housing, and several of the configurations could be implemented on current production vehicles.

Heavy Vehicle Wheel Housing Flows - a Parametric Study

The drag from the underbody, including wheels and wheel housing, constitutes a significant amount of the total aerodynamic drag of heavy vehicles. A correct simulation of the underbody boundary conditions, including rotating wheels and moving ground, has turned out to be of great importance in the minimising of the aerodynamic drag. In the current study several front wheel housing design parameters have been evaluated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Design concepts, like enclosed inner wheel housings, underbody panel and wheel housing ventilation, were evaluated by flow analysis and comparison of the drag force contribution. It was shown that changes to the wheel housing geometry had an important impact on the local flow field and force distribution. The total drag of the vehicle decreased with reduced wheel housing volume and wheel housing ventilation can reduce the aerodynamic drag significantly provided it is designed properly. It was also found that even though there were large differences in the drag force of each component the change in total drag was small.

An Investigation of the Aerodynamic Drag Mechanisms Due to Ground Simulation in Yawed Flow Conditions for Heavy Trucks

The drag from the underbody, including wheels and wheel housings, constitute a significant amount of the total aerodynamic drag of heavy trucks. A correct simulation of the underbody boundary conditions, including rotating wheels and moving ground, has turned out to be of great importance in the minimising of the aerodynamic drag. Earlier studies on passenger cars have described the drag mechanisms involved when implementing proper ground simulation. However, model scale wind tunnel tests of heavy trucks have shown an opposite trend on the drag coefficient with ground simulation compared to passenger cars. An important aspect of truck aerodynamics is the yaw dependency of the drag coefficient when the vehicle is exposed to crosswinds. Therefore it is of outmost importance to evaluate the performance of the vehicle in yawed flow conditions during the development process. In the current study the influence of ground simulation, including moving ground and rotating wheels, on the flow has been investigated at several yaw angles using Computational Fluid Dynamics. For the simulations a tractor trailer geometry corresponding to a standard European configuration was used, and the geometry included a fully detailed underbody and engine compartment. It was found that there was a significant difference in the structure of the wheel wakes and this was mainly due to the implementation of wheel rotation. It was also shown that the drag coefficient increased due to the utilisation of ground simulation in yawed flow conditions.

Wing-Diffuser Interaction on a Sports Car

Amongst the aerodynamic devices often found on race cars, the diffuser is one of the most important items. The diffuser can work both to reduce drag and also to increase downforce. It has been shown in previously published studies, that the efficiency of the diffuser is a function of the diffuser angle, ground clearance and most importantly, the base pressure. The base pressure of a car is defined by the shape of the car and in particular the shape at the rear end, including the rear wheels. Furthermore, on most race cars, a wing is mounted at the rear end. Since the rear wheels and wing will influence the base pressure it is believed that, for a modern race car, there could be a strong interaction between these items and the diffuser.