Browse Topic: Drag
Experimental studies of wind tunnel blockage for road vehicles have usually been conducted in model wind tunnels. Models have been made in a range of scales and tested in a working section of fixed size. More recently CFD studies of blockage have been undertaken, which allow a fixed vehicle size and the blockage is varied by changing the cross section of the flow domain. This has some inherent advantages. A very recent database of CFD derived drag and lift coefficients for different road vehicle shapes and simple bodies tested in a closed wall tunnel with a wide range of blockage ratios has become available and provides some additional insight into the blockage phenomenon. In this paper a process is developed to derive the parameters influencing wind tunnel blockage corrections from CFD data. These are shown to be reasonably effective for correcting the measured drag and lift coefficients at blockage ratios up to 10%.
The vehicle wake region is of high importance when analyzing the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle. It is characterized by turbulent separated flow and large low-pressure regions that contribute significantly to drag. In some cases, the wake region can oscillate between different modes which can pose an engineering challenge during vehicle development. Vehicles that exhibit bimodal wake behavior need to have their drag values recorded over a sufficient time period to take into account the low frequency shift in drag signal, therefore, simulating such vehicle configurations in CFD could consume substantial CPU hours resulting in an expensive and inefficient vehicle design iterations process. As an alternative approach to running simulations for long periods of time, the impact of adding artificial turbulence to the inlet on wake behavior and its potential impact on reduced runtime for design process is investigated in this study. By adding turbulence to the upstream flow, the wake
Vehicle handling is significantly influenced by aerodynamic forces, which alter the normal load distribution across all four wheels, affecting vehicle stability. These forces, including lift, drag, and side forces, cause complex weight transfers and vary non-linearly with vehicle apparent velocity and orientation relative to wind direction. In this study, we simulate the vehicle traveling on a circular path with constant steering input, calculate the normal load on each tire using a weight transfer formula, calculate the effect of lift force on the vehicle on the front and rear, and calculate the vehicle dynamic relation at steady state because the frequency of change due to aerodynamic load is significantly less than that of the yaw rate response. The wind velocity vector is constant while the vehicle drives in a circle, so the apparent wind velocity relative to the car is cyclical. Our approach focuses on the interaction between two fundamental non-linearity’s: the nonlinear
The increased importance of aerodynamics to help with overall vehicle efficiency necessitates a desire to improve the accuracy of the measuring methods. To help with that goal, this paper will provide a method for correcting belt-whip and wheel ventilation drag on single and 3-belt wind tunnels. This is primarily done through a method of analyzing rolling-road only speed sweeps but also physically implementing a barrier. When understanding the aerodynamic forces applied to a vehicle in a wind tunnel, the goal is to isolate only those forces that it would see in the real-world. This primarily means removing the weight of the vehicle from the vertical force and the rolling resistance of the tires and bearings from the longitudinal force. This is traditionally done by subtracting the no-wind forces from the wind at testing velocity forces. The first issue with the traditional method is that a boundary layer builds up on the belt(s), which can then influence a force onto the vehicle’s
The current Range Rover is the fifth generation of this luxury SUV. With a drag coefficient of 0.30 at launch, it was the most aerodynamically efficient luxury SUV in the world. This aerodynamic efficiency was achieved by applying the latest science. Rear wake control was realised with a large roof spoiler, rear pillar and bodyside shaping, along with an under-floor designed to reduce losses over a wide range of vehicle configurations. This enabled manipulation of the wake structure to reduce drag spread, optimising emissions measured under the WLTP regulations. Along with its low drag coefficient, in an industry first, it was developed explicitly to achieve reduced rear surface contamination with reductions achieved of 70% on the rear screen and 60% over the tailgate when compared against the outgoing product. This supports both perceptions of luxury along with sensor system performance, demonstrating that vehicles can be developed concurrently for low drag and reduced rear soiling
This document specifies dimensional, functional and visual requirements for Automotive grade coaxial cable. This material will be designated AG for general-purpose automotive applications or AG LL for low loss applications. It is the responsibility of the user of this cable to verify the suitability of the selected product (based on dimensional, mechanical, electrical and environmental requirements) for its intended application. It is the responsibility of the supplier to retain and maintain records as evidence of compliance to the requirements detailed in this standard.
The SAE J2923 procedure is a recommended practice that applies to on-road vehicles with a GVWR below 4540 kg equipped with disc brakes.
Over the past twenty years, the automotive sector has increasingly prioritized lightweight and eco-friendly products. Specifically, in the realm of tyres, achieving reduced weight and lower rolling resistance is crucial for improving fuel efficiency. However, these goals introduce significant challenges in managing Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH), particularly regarding mid-frequency noise inside the vehicle. This study focuses on analyzing the interior noise of a passenger car within the 250 to 500 Hz frequency range. It examines how tyre tread stiffness and carcass stiffness affect this noise through structural borne noise test on a rough road drum and modal analysis, employing both experimental and computational approaches. Findings reveal that mid-frequency interior noise is significantly affected by factors such as the tension in the cap ply, the stiffness of the belt, and the properties of the tyre sidewall.
The Kenworth booth at the 2024 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Las Vegas garnered much interest thanks to the reveal of its futuristic-looking SuperTruck 2. Developed over a six-year period as part of the DOE's SuperTruck program, the demonstrator vehicle improved freight efficiency by up to 136% compared to the 2009 T660 model. The team improved fuel efficiency up to 12.8 mpg and reduced the combination weight by about 7,100 lb (3,220 kg) - 4,150 lb (1,880 kg) from the tractor and 2,950 lb (1,340 kg) from the trailer. The design led to a 48% reduction in drag compared to Kenworth's baseline vehicle. A Paccar MX-11 diesel engine, rated at 455 hp (339 kW), is paired with a Paccar TX-12 automated transmission and a 48-volt electric generator, creating a mild hybrid system to operate accessories and provide engine-off “hoteling.” The 48V generator also powers the exhaust heater in an in-house-developed close coupled aftertreatment system that demonstrated CARB 2027 ultra-low
Homologation is an important process in vehicle development and aerodynamics a main data contributor. The process is heavily interconnected: Production planning defines the available assemblies. Construction defines their parts and features. Sales defines the assemblies offered in different markets, where Legislation defines the rules applicable to homologation. Control engineers define the behavior of active, aerodynamically relevant components. Wind tunnels are the main test tool for the homologation, accompanied by surface-area measurement systems. Mechanics support these test operations. The prototype management provides test vehicles, while parts come from various production and prototyping sources and are stored and commissioned by logistics. Several phases of this complex process share the same context: Production timelines for assemblies and parts for each chassis-engine package define which drag coefficients or drag coefficient contributions shall be determined. Absolute and
Severe problem of aerodynamic heating and drag force are inherent with any hypersonic space vehicle like space shuttle, missiles etc. For proper design of vehicle, the drag force measurement become very crucial. Ground based test facilities are employed for these estimates along with any suitable force balance as well as sensors. There are many sensors (Accelerometer, Strain gauge and Piezofilm) reported in the literature that is used for evaluating the actual aerodynamic forces over test model in high speed flow. As per previous study, the piezofilm also become an alternative sensor over the strain gauges due to its simple instrumentation. For current investigation, the piezofilm and strain gauge sensors have mounted on same stress force balance to evaluate the response time as well as accuracy of predicted force at the same instant. However, these force balance need to be calibrated for inverse prediction of the force from recorded responses. A reliable multi point calibration
Defense Innovation Unit Washington D.C. info@DIU.mil
Planning for charging in transport missions is vital when commercial long-haul vehicles are to be electrified. In this planning, accurate range prediction is essential so the trucks reach their destinations as planned. The rolling resistance significantly influences truck energy consumption, often considered a simple constant or a function of vehicle speed only. This is, however, a gross simplification, especially as the tire temperature has a significant impact. At 80 km/h, a cold tire can have three times higher rolling resistance than a warm tire. A temperature-dependent rolling resistance model is proposed. The model is based on thermal networks for the temperature at four places around the tire. The model is tuned and validated using rolling resistance, tire shoulder, and tire apex temperature measurements with a truck in a climate wind tunnel with ambient temperatures ranging from -30 to 25 °C at an 80 km/h constant speed. Dynamic tire simulations were conducted using a heat
The increasing importance of minimizing drag and the absence of an exhaust system result in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) commonly having a very streamlined underbody. Although this shape of underbody is typically characterized by a low acoustic interference potential, significant flow resonance can be observed for certain vehicle configurations and frequencies below 30 Hz. Since the interior of the vehicle can be excited as a Helmholtz resonator, these low-frequency fluctuations result in reduced comfort for the passengers. As preliminary studies have shown, the flow around the front wheel spoilers significantly influences this flow phenomenon. Flow separation occurs at the front-wheel spoilers and at the front wheels. This leads to the generation of vortices which are growing significantly while being transported downstream with the flow. Even small geometric changes to add-on components on the underbody significantly influence both aerodynamics and aeroacoustics. Thus, the goal
Items per page:
50
1 – 50 of 4511