Journal of Advanced Engineering Research

ISSN: 2393-8447
Volume 3, Issue 1, 2016, pp.26-32

Methods for Reducing Aerodynamic Drag in Vehicles and thus Acquiring

Fuel Economy

L. Anantha Raman, Rahul Hari H.*,

Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Rajadhani Institute of Engineering and Technology, Kerala-695001, India.
*Corresponding author email: harihrahul@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This paper discusses about techniques that can be adopted to reduce the formation of aerodynamic drag on
vehicles & thus reducing the fuel consumption. This is a comparative study and hence conclusions based
on more than one method are practiced here. One of the major causes of aerodynamic drag on a vehicle is
due to the formation of flow separation at the rear end of the vehicle. For reducing such flow separation
certain aerodynamic shapes or surfaces can be provided on the vehicle surface. One such improvement is
the usage of a bump-shaped vortex generator that restricts flow separation up to an extent & thereby
reducing the aerodynamic drag. Another method is by the usage of two passive devices known as rear
fairing, which is the aerodynamic extension of a vehicle’s rear end and the other is a rear screen, which is
a plate fixed behind the back of a car. Drag induced on a vehicle prohibits it for higher acceleration. And
hence for attaining higher velocities more fuel has to be burnt, which increases the fuel usage & also leads
to higher carbon emissions that will gradually affect the environment.

Keywords - aerodynamic drag reduction, passive methods, rear fairing, rear screen, vortex generator

1. INTRODUCTION to reach another gas station if he needed to re-

fuel.
On manufacturing a vehicle, several design Hence the vehicles had to run more efficiently.
parameters should be kept in mind, among which The measure of a vehicle’s efficiency depends up
some of them are appropriate space for on several factors. And one of these factors will
passengers and goods, cruise speed, fuel be the efficiency of the engine. The engine should
efficiency and of course the vehicle should not be highly efficient so that it consumes less
lack good looks as it is necessary to attract a amount of fuel for more distance covered. Such
customer, as it will be the primary factor that one an engine consumes less amount of fuel and gives
will notice. Among these fuel efficiency is the better work output. Another main parameter that
major focus of this paper. The thought of fuel forbids the efficient working of a vehicle is the
consumption did not arose today. It had been aerodynamic drag acting on the vehicle. The
there since vehicles first arrived on roads. The aerodynamic force that opposes the forward
reason was because, earlier when the vehicles motion of a body is known as aerodynamic drag
were first manufactured and was being or simply drag. This aerodynamic force accounts
popularized, re-fuelling stations were less, for more than 60% of the power consumed by the
compared nowadays. Therefore after one re- vehicles. And hence, more power should be
fuelling station the driver had to run several miles generated to push the vehicle forward, past the
opposition caused by drag. For generation of

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more power more fuel must be burnt which in device that converts a steady pressure input into a
turn leads to higher amount of carbon emissions. spatially oscillating jet.

Increased carbon emissions have adversely 3. USE OF PASSIVE METHODS FOR

affected the ecosystem. Higher rates of these REDUCING DRAG
emissions accounts for the cause of global Drag can be reduced by the usage of passive
warming and numerous other ecological devices which are aerodynamic extensions of the
problems. vehicle or certain installations provided on the
vehicle surface. The use of rear screens and rear
The shape of the vehicle also plays a vital role in fairings have helped considerably in reducing the
determining the formation of drag around it. As it aerodynamic drag. Experiments are done on an
is necessary to accommodate passengers and SUV model by aerodynamically extending its
carry goods it should be a bluff body. And being rear end (rear fairing) and also by installing a
a bluff body it tends to form, more drag around it. plate at the rear end (rear screen) of the vehicle.
By analyzing the results obtained from both the
The drag acting on the vehicle is mainly from two results it is seen that the aerodynamic efficiency
sources. One is skin friction which is caused due of the vehicle has been increased.
to the viscous interaction of the vehicle’s body
with the airstream and the other one is pressure 4. DRAG REDUCTION BY USING
drag that forms due to the relative change in VORTEX GENERATORS
pressure at the back and rear end of the vehicle. Vortex generators are also a kind of passive
devices. One of the main reasons for the
Hence certain methods should be adopted to formation of aerodynamic drag around a
reduce the formation of aerodynamic drag around vehicle’s body is due to the flow separation
vehicles. Generally there are two methods by occurring at its rear end. Hence if a method can
which we can reduce drag in vehicles. One among be adopted to delay the flow separation formed at
them is active method that involves a type of air the rear end, the formation of drag can be
jet at critical locations on the vehicle shell. Such effectively reduced. The use of vortex generators
methods usually require a little or no thus comes into this scenario. Vortex generators
modification at all in shape. And the other is create drag by themselves as it is a projection
passive methods that employs additional devices from the vehicle’s surface. But the drag caused by
or shape modifications a vortex generator will be negligible and the
overall performance, that is the drag reduction by
2. DRAG REDUCTION ON AN AHMED a vortex generator will be the sum total of its
BODY VEHICLE ANALOGUE positive and negative effects.
Whenever a body moves through air, it accounts
for aerodynamic drag. The main disadvantage of 5. USE OF REAR SCREEN
the formation of aerodynamic drag in vehicles is
that it increases the rate of fuel consumed. Hence A plate which is installed at the back of a vehicle
certain methods should be adopted to control this is said to be a rear screen. Findings from are made
increase in drag. In such cases one solution is by use of, to study about the effects of using a rear
the use of active flow control methods. Drag screen. One of the main reasons for the action of
reduction on an Ahmed body can be studied with aerodynamic drag is due to the flow separation
the help of a fluidic oscillator which is a simple formed at the rear wall of the vehicle. The drag

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reduction by the employment of a rear screen is □ - rear screen D= 0.8, h= 100 mm

by the generation of a vortex between the rear ∆ - rear screen D= 0.6, h= 200 mm
screen and the vehicle’s rear end. The formation ╪ - without rear screen
of vortex helps in preventing the flow separation.
Figure 5.3: Impact of rear screen on
aerodynamic drag factor, CX

From the Fig 5.3 it is clear that after using a rear

screen, the aerodynamic drag factor has been
considerably reduced. Also if the gap between
rear screen and rear wall of the vehicle is
increased, it can give better results in drag
reduction.
Figure 5.1: Side view of rear screen

6. USE OF REAR FAIRING

Rear faring is a structure extended from the back

of the vehicle into flow separation area in order
to reduce the aerodynamic drag. For a perfect
case it is also seen that a rear fairing gives no flow
separation for a vehicle with modified
configuration.
Figure 5.2: Rear view of rear screen
The practical application of such an
The rear screen contour was scaled from the back aerodynamically extended structure at the back of
view of the vehicle model. Rear screens with the vehicle is quite difficult. But the results
contours on a scale of D = 0.6 and D* = 0.8 with obtained from this experiment can be used to
a thickness of 7.5 mm and 1 mm were tested. Also study the preliminary means of reduction of drag
the impact of using two rear screens one after the for finding minimum possible values.
other were also tested.

◊ - double rear screen D= 0.8, h1= 50 mm,

D=0.6, h2= 160 mm
Figure 6.1: A modified vehicle model having
○ - rear screen D= 0.6, h= 158 mm
installed a rear fairing

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 L. Anantha Raman and Rahul Hari H.., / Journal of Advanced Engineering Research, 2016, 3 (1), 26-32

Promising results yielded from tests conducted

using rear fairings of different lengths. The use of
rear fairing showed high efficiency.

A reduction of 26% in vehicle aerodynamic drag

factor can be obtained by installing a full-size rear
fairing. A rear fairing having half the length of its
vehicle model can reduce the drag factor by up to
22.6% and quarter the length will provide a Figure 7.2: Velocity profile at vehicle’s rear end
16.1% reduction.
The decrease in height at the rear end causes the
downstream pressure to rise. This pressure rise
leads to a reverse flow at a point C, acting against
the main flow. As the momentum of boundary
layer prevails over the pressure gradient (dp/dx),
no reverse flow occurs at point A. The pressure
gradient and momentum of the boundary layer
are balanced at point B. From Fig 7.2 we can see
that the flow loses its momentum as it travels
downstream, and this happens due to the viscosity
of air. The use of vortex generators comes in this
scenario.
7. USE OF VORTEX GENERATORS
Fig 7.2 depicts the improved flow over the
The flow separation formed at vehicle’s rear end vehicle’s rear end after the usage of a vortex
is one of the major reasons for aerodynamic drag generator. A vortex generator is installed at a
in vehicles. Taking a sedan as an example, the point just before where the flow separates. This
height of the car decreases gradually from center will generate stream wise vortices that tend to
to rear. As a result, during motion of the vehicle, supply momentum from the higher region of the
an expanded airflow is formed at the rear as the vehicle having larger momentum to the lower
flow moves downstream. part of the vehicle having comparatively less
momentum. The result will be a shift in the
position of flow separation point which in turn
allows the expanded airflow to exist longer than
before and reduce the flow velocity at separation
point and thus making the static pressure higher.

This static pressure at the flow separation point

acts as the governing factor for the overall
Figure 7.1: Flow around a sedan
pressures in the flow separation region and
reduces drag by increasing the back pressure.
Drag occurs due to the low pressure formed at
flow separation region, as the flow separation

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 L. Anantha Raman and Rahul Hari H.., / Journal of Advanced Engineering Research, 2016, 3 (1), 26-32

point gets shifted further downstream; it narrows suggested with maximum vortex generation and
the separation region and also increases the minimum drag production.
pressure at the region of flow separation.

Figure 7.3: Change in flow after installing

vortex generator

But as it is true that vortex generators delay the Figure 8.1: Location of vortex generator
flow separation, it also tends to generate drag by
itself. However the increase in size of a vortex 9. USE OF BUMP SHAPED VORTEX
generator can effectively delay flow separation it GENERATOR
can also increase the drag caused by the vortex
generator. Hence an optimum size for a vortex
generator should be determined.

8. SELECTION OF THE OPTIMUM

VORTEX GENERATOR

For selecting the optimum vortex generator with Figure 9.1: Bump shaped vortex generator
good stream wise vortex generation and less drag A vortex generator with bump shape having a rear
formation by itself, certain factors should be slope angle of 25° to 30° is selected considering
considered, which would be primarily the size the fact that a hatchback car with a same rear
and shape of the vortex generator. Concerning window angle can produce a strong stream wise
about the size, the thickness and height are vortex. The smoothly curved front face reduces
determined. the drag caused by the vortex generator itself and
the straight rear half cut in an angle of
The height of the vortex generator is assumed to approximately 27° allows it to produce the vortex
be same as that of the height of the boundary effectively.
layer. Based on the experimental results from, the
height of the vortex generator is taken as 30 mm.

The optimum location of the vortex generator is

yet another factor. As the vortex should be
generated from upstream to downstream, its
location will be immediately upstream to the flow
separation. Now an appropriate shape should be

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 L. Anantha Raman and Rahul Hari H.., / Journal of Advanced Engineering Research, 2016, 3 (1), 26-32

vehicle whereas it will be nearly 0° at the outer

positions. The reason for such a modification is
because the direction of flow will be aligned with
the rear end at the center, but it deviates along the
sideways moving away from the center.

Vortex generators with three different heights (15

mm, 20 mm and 25 mm) were tested and the
reduction in drag were all the same and was equal
to 0.006. This shows that delta-wing shaped
Figure 9.2: Effects of using a bump shaped vortex generators are more effective than bump
vortex generator shaped vortex generators. The reason for such
efficiency is because, as the frontal projection
The results obtained from using three bump area is less for a delta-wing shaped vortex
shaped vortex generators with various heights generator compared to the other it will produce
(i.e.; h= 15 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm) are used to less drag by itself. One another reason is that the
plot the graph depicted in Fig 9.2 and the results vortex created by a delta-wing shaped vortex
suggest that the optimum height of the vortex generator does not loses its strength as the flow
generator will be in between 20 and 25 mm. A moves downstream, whereas vortex strength is
further increase in height may reduce drag by weakened for a bump shaped vortex generator,
delaying the flow separation but it also increases since vortex interferes with the bump shape.
the drag caused by the vortex generator. If a bump
shaped vortex generator with optimum size and
shape can be used, the drag coefficient gets
reduced to CD= 0.003.

10. USE OF DELTA-WING SHAPED

VORTEX GENERATOR

Figure 10.2: Delta-wing shaped vortex generator

11. CONCLUSION

This paper was intended to compare and study the

results obtained from various experiments that
Figure 10.1: Delta-wing shaped vortex were adopted to reduce the formation of
generator. aerodynamic drag over a vehicle’s surface.
Generally there are two methods by which the
A vortex generator having the shape of a half span drag over a vehicle surface can be reduced,
delta wing is also advisable, owing to a delta namely the active methods and passive methods.
winged aircraft. The vortex generators are
installed at an angle of 15° at the center of the

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The aerodynamic design of a vehicle plays a vital [3] Masaru Koike, Tsunehisa Nagayoshi and
role in reducing the drag. If the body is more blunt Naoki Hamamoto., Research on Aerodynamic
it can cause greater generation of drag and Drag Reduction by Vortex Generators.
making it too sharp can also lead to problems.
Active methods involve the action of air jet at [4] Kevin R Cooper., Commercial Vehicle
critical points of the vehicle surface. Such Aerodynamic Drag Reduction: Historical
methods require a little or no shape modifications Perspective as a Guide, National Research
at all. Whereas passive methods includes the Council of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
aerodynamic shape changes introduced on the
vehicle as well as installation of certain [5] Bandu N Pamadi, Larry W Taylor and
aerodynamic shapes on the vehicle surface. Terrance O Leary., A Method for the Reduction
of Aerodynamic Drag of Road Vehicles, NASA
Rear screens can be used to reduce drag which is Technical Memorandum 102589, January 1990.
a metal plate fixed at the rear end of the vehicle.
By installing such a passive device drag could be [6] Abdellah Ait Moussa, rohan Yadav, Justin
reduced up to 6.5%, whereas the use of rear Fischer., Aerodynamic Drag Reduction for a
fairing which is another passive device that is the Generic Sport Utility Vehicle Using Rear
aerodynamic extension of a vehicle’s rear end Suction, International Journal of Engineering
could yield drag reduction by up to 26%. Research and Applications, Vol. 4, Issue 8,
August 2014.
One another method is the usage of vortex
generators. Vortex generators are used to create a
flow around the vehicle in order to resist the flow
separation. Even if vortex generators cause drag
by itself overall drag reduction will be obtained
after the formation of vortices. Vortex generators
are commonly of two shapes – bump shaped and
delta wing shaped in which the delta wing shaped
is more effective.

REFERENCE

[1] Matthew Metka., An Examination of Active

Drag Reduction Methods for Ground Vehicles,
Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Department of
Mechanical Engineering, The Ohio State
University, Spring 2013.

[2] Upendra S Rohatgi., Methods of Reducing

vehicle Aerodynamic Drag, ASME Summer 2012
Heat Transfer Conference, July-2012.

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