Aerodynamic Drag and Fuel Economy in a Formula SAE Racing Style Vehicle

Aerodynamic drag directly impacts the fuel economy attainable by a vehicle. In the Formula SAE competition (FSAE), fuel economy is a factor during the endurance phase. The focus of this paper is to study the effects of aerodynamic drag and how it impacts the fuel economy of a FSAE racing style vehicle. The Lawrence Technological University (LTU) 1999 and 2000 cars will be used in this study to evaluate various methods to reduce drag and improve fuel economy. Empirical methods will be used and the study will be limited to the effects of form and interference drag.