Title: Modelling of airflow around a car

Authors: R. De La Bastide, A. Hauguel, D. Laurence

Addresses: Electricite de France, Chatou, France. ' Electricite de France, Chatou, France. ' Electricite de France, Chatou, France

Abstract: The development of computer performance and capacity in recent years has made the use of three-dimensional mathematical models of flows possible. These models can be applied to the study of the aerodynamical properties of a car. Such computer programs are compliant, easily run and give immediate results, so that one can look forward to research into optimal shapes. A program for solving the equations of fluid dynamics in complex geometries has been developed. Its first aim was the computation of internal flows in nuclear power plants. This code has now been applied to the study of airflow around a schematic vehicle, for different geometries, according to scale models which have been studied in a wind-tunnel (Bearman et al., 1982,1983). This paper describes the mathematical model and presents computational results.

Keywords: vehicle aerodynamics; car prototype testing; finite difference method; mathematical modelling; airflow; Navier-Stokes equations; wind tunnel testing; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1985.061413

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1985 Vol.6 No.4/5, pp.650 - 655

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

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