Rearview mirror Optimization

Engineers at Volvo Corp. are studying the influences that external rearview mirrors have on vehicle parameters such as drag, wind noise, and side-screen dirt deposition.

A major drag-producing component of today's cars is the external rearview mirror. A poorly designed mirror can greatly increase drag, wind noise, and side-screen dirt deposition. Styling considerations are also important with a new mirror design. All these issues can make rearview mirror development a time-consuming process. To minimize development time, Volvo Corp. is studying the drag and dirt deposition mechanisms of rearview mirrors to achieve a better understanding of the process.

A goal of Volvo's study is to develop and verify a new mirror external shape that will meet a set of demanding aerodynamic performance requirements. Flow physics have a major influence on the drag and dirt deposition features of a rearview mirror (Figure 1).