Evolution of Design

Automotive Aerodynamics
• Study of air flows around and through the vehicle body.
• Above slow speeds, the air flow around and through a vehicle begins
to have a more pronounced effect on the acceleration, top speed, fuel
efficiency and handling.
• Influence of flow characteristics and improvement of flow past
vehicle bodies
• Reduction of fuel consumption
• More favorable comfort characteristics (mud deposition on body, noise,
ventilating and cooling of passenger compartment)
• Improvement of driving characteristics (stability, handling, traffic safety)
• Lift
• It is the sum of all fluid dynamic forces on a body normal to the direction of external
flow around the body. it is caused by Bernoulli’s effect . It results body to rise by
creating pressure difference .
• Drag
• It is the sum of all external forces in the direction of fluid flow, so it acts opposite to the
direction of the object. it is the force which opposes forward motion of the body
through fluid.
• Weight
• It is actually just the weight of the object that is in motion. i.e. the mass of the object
multiplied by the magnitude of gravitational field.
• Thrust
• When a body is in motion a drag force is created which opposes the forward motion of
the object so thrust can be the force produce in opposite direction to drag. it must be
higher than that of drag so that the body can move through the fluid.
Advantages
• It is essential that aerodynamics be taken into account during the
design of cars as an improved aerodynamics in car would attain
• 1.More fuel efficiency
2.Higher speeds
3.Good Aesthetic and stylish appearance of car.
• 4.More stability of car at higher speed
• 5.Reduces noise level
• Flow of air through the engine compartment is directly dependent upon the
flow field around the vehicle.
• The external flow subjects the vehicle to forces and moments which greatly
influence the vehicle's performance and directional stability.
• The streamlines follow the contour of the vehicle over long stretches, even in
the area of sharp curves; the air flow separates at the rear edge of the roof,
forming a large wake
• The aerodynamic drag D, as well as the other force components and moments,
increases with the square of the vehicle speed V:
𝐷~𝑉 2
• The scope for improving economy by reducing aerodynamic drag of the
vehicle.
• For this reason drag remains the focal point of vehicle aerodynamics, whether
the objective is speed or fuel economy.
𝜌
𝐷 = 𝑐𝐷 × 𝐴 × 𝑉 2
2
Where cD is the non-dimensional drag coefficient;
A is the projected frontal area of the vehicle
ρ is the density of the surrounding air.
 Drag Coefficient
• The drag D of a vehicle is determined by its frontal area A, and by its shape,
the aerodynamic quality of which is described by the drag coefficient cD.
• the vehicle size, and frontal area, is determined by the design requirements,
and efforts to reduce drag are concentrated on reducing the drag coefficient.
• According to Newton's second law of motion, the tractive force FT
required at the interface between the tires of the driven wheels and the
road is

• where D is the aerodynamic drag, R is the tire rolling resistance, m the

vehicle's mass, V the road speed, g the acceleration of gravity, and 𝛼 is
the inclination angle of the road.
• The last two terms on the right side of are also called resistances;
accordingly, m dV/dt is called acceleration resistance and mg· sin𝛼 is
climbing resistance.
• Aerodynamic drag depends on the size of a vehicle (which is characterized b it frontal
area A), the drag coefficient CD (which is a measure of the flow quality around the
vehicle), and the square of the road speed V. Hence, aerodynamic drag D can be
expressed as:
𝜌
𝐷 = 𝑐𝐷 × 𝐴 × 𝑉 2
2
• A wind is blowing; its speed Vw and direction δ vary randomly. The vector sum of
(negative) road speed V and wind speed Vw yields the resulting wind speed V∞ which
approaches a vehicle with a yawing angle.
• Aerodynamic force to be overcome is no longer drag (which, by definition, is the
force in the direction of the resulting oncoming wind) but the tangential force T
(which is in the direction of the vehicle's longitudinal axis and thus in the direction of
its forward motion).
• In the U.S. this tangential force is called drag.
FRONT END OF CAR
• Drag Force due to Frontal pressure:-
• This Drag force is caused by the air attempting to flow around the front of the
car. When Air molecules approaches the front of the car they begin to
compress and raise the air pressure in front of car.
• Frontal pressure is reduced by minimizing exposed frontal surface area and
making front end smooth, continuous curve originating from the line of front
bumper allowing the air molecules to pass smoothly.
REAR END OF CAR
• Drag Force due to Rear Vacuum:-
• Rear vacuum is caused by the Flow Detachment in the air flow as the car
passes through it.
• Flow Detachment is inability of air molecules to fill the empty zones which are
created at the rear end of vehicle.
• Which results in continuous vacuum zone in the opposite direction of Vehicle
motion in the rear area.
• Drag forces are increases due to turbulence in the rear end which is caused
due to flow detachment
• To decrease drag force, it is
necessary to decrease Flow
detachment .
• It is achieved by allowing the air
molecule to follow continuously
the contours of a car's body.
• this can be ideally achieved by a
long , smooth surface and gradual
slope at rear end.
• Hence, shape of car is streamlined
so that air molecule flow smoothly
towards the end of car to avoid
flow detachment .
Wings
• Probably the most popular form of aerodynamic device is the wing.
• Wings perform very efficiently and generating lots of down force in
the car.
• The wings works by differentiating pressure on the top and bottom
surface.
• Air molecules approaching the leading edge of the wings are forced to
travel different distances over and below the wings.
• which results in lower pressure area under the wing and allows the
higher pressure area above the wing to "push" down on the wing,
and hence the car is stable during high speed.
Spoiler
• They act like barriers to air flow, in order to build up higher air
pressure in front of the trunk of car.
• It is mostly used in race cars which are lighter in rear end because
low pressure created above the trunk which lifts the rear end of car.
• Hence spoilers are use to create high pressure that pushes down the
car and also it gives stability at corners.
Scoops
• Scoops, or positive pressure intakes consist of the air box which has
an opening that permits an adequate volume of air to directly enter .
• Its main function is to provide high pressure, denser and adequate
volume of outside air directly into the the engine compartment.
Cross Winds
• The air flow around the vehicle is asymmetric to the longitudinal
centre plane.
• The shape of the car must be such that the additional forces and
moments remain so small that the directional stability is not greatly
affected.
• First, the need to react to a cross-wind of varying intensity and
direction is inconvenient, as the driver must continually apply steering
corrections.
Strategy for low fuel Consumption
• The challenge for a vehicle engineer is to achieve good fuel economy
without asking buyers to sacrifice performance, safety, and comfort;
buyers would never accept that.
• Task to improve fuel economy while at least maintaining the state of
the art in all three areas.
• Consequently, a reduction in engine power-which a lower
aerodynamic drag would allow-is acceptable only if it can be
accompanied by an appropriate reduction in vehicle mass. Hence,
"lowest possible fuel consumption" must see in a context where
vehicle properties are well balanced.
Cut Back Angle
• Cut back angle is the also termed as the rear wind shield angle or the
back light angle.
• The rear window angle with horizontal is called the “ cut back angle” or
“back light angle”.
• The angle of inclination affects the trailing vortex location and the
strength
• The nature of the counter rotating vortex structure is controlled primarily
by the cut back angle.
• Vortices expend energy gives drag.
• So the amount of drag creation is controlled by the cut back angle.
Train aerodynamic
• train aerodynamic problems were not considered a priority except for drag reduction.
• However, with the introduction of the high-speed trains, aerodynamic effects became a
major issue for both train operators and train manufacturers.
• When a train moves in open-air, it generates region of highly turbulent flow known as a
slipstream.
• The slipstream is generally associated with high air velocities and rapidly-changing
pressure fields.
• Two effects can create significant problems for passengers on platforms, trackside
workers and also for the stability of high-speed trains if running in strong side winds.
• However, when a train passes a confined space such as a tunnel, additional aerodynamic
issues appear, which are different than those in the open air,
• in which the compressibility of the air around high-speed trains due to running in a
confined space need to consider, as it produces pressure transients along the tunnel.
Evolution of Train
Hovecraft
• A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is a craft capable of
travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces.
• Hovercraft are hybrid vessels operated by a pilot as an aircraft rather than a
captain as a marine vessel.
• Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull that is
slightly above atmospheric pressure.
• The pressure difference between the higher pressure air below the hull and lower
pressure ambient air above it produces lift, which causes the hull to float above
the running surface.
• For stability reasons, the air is typically blown through slots or holes around the
outside of a disk- or oval-shaped platform, giving most hovercraft a characteristic
rounded-rectangle shape.
• Typically this cushion is contained within a flexible "skirt", which allows the
vehicle to travel over small obstructions without damage.
Hovecraft
• Vehicles designed to travel close to but above ground or water.
• These vehicles are supported in various ways. Some of them have a
specially designed wing that will lift them just off the surface over
which they travel when they have reached a sufficient horizontal
speed (the ground effect).
• Basically hovercraft is a vehicle that,
• Drive like a car but
• Flies like a plane.
• It can hover over or move across land or water surfaces while held off from
the surfaces by a cushion of air.
• Float like a boat.
• A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is a craft
capable of travelling over land, water, mud or ice and other surfaces both
at speed and when stationary.
• Hovercrafts are hybrid vessels operated by a pilot as an aircraft rather
than a captain as a marine vessel.
• Hovercrafts are usually supported by fans that force air down under the
vehicle to create lift, Air propellers, water propellers, or water jets usually
provide forward propulsion.
• Air-cushion vehicles can attain higher speeds than can either ships or
most land vehicles and use much less power than helicopters of the same
weight.
Design
• It can be powered by one or more engines. It needs engine power to
produce air current which causes the movement of craft.
• Small craft have only one engine. In case of vehicles with several engines,
one engine is used to drive the fan.
• The main responsibility of the engine is to lift the vehicle.
• It is by forcing high pressure air under craft. The skirt under vehicle will be
inflated which causes to rise above the surface.
• In order to propel the craft, thrust (forward motion) is provided by
additional engines. i.e. it needs two separate engines for forward motion
and to create the pressurized air cushion.
• Some hovercraft has one large engine which performs both tasks.
• It directs some air to the skirt and the balance air passing out of the back
and it will push the craft forward.
• The larger engine produces single air stream which is split into trust and
cushion.
Working
• The main working principle is that the craft is lifted by air cushion. At the top of the craft,
fans are fitted.
• These large fans sucked the air into underneath of craft. This air is used to inflate the
skirt.
• When the weight of craft and pressure equals, then the crafts lift up. The air will escape
through the edges of skirt.
• To compensate this air loss, constant air is feeding into the craft. Thus, the crafts will lift
up.
• The propeller drives the air down to the hollow skin. The rubber skirt is inflated by air.
This air escapes through holes which provides cushion of air under the hover craft. Once
lifted, thrust is created to move the craft in forward direction.
• The two main principles of hovercraft are lift and propulsion.
• Lift allows the movement of craft through air cushion.
• The movement is achieved by the flow of air from top to bottom of craft.
• To maintain the craft’s stability, a proper amount of air must flow. If the air flow directed under the
craft is too high, then the craft will hover too high above the ground.
• If the air flow directed under the craft is too low, then the craft will remain on the ground. The
source of this airflow is a fan and it can be used for lift and thrust. The fan is not a normal fan.
Because a normal fan does not blow air straight back. It spins the air in spiral shape. So here uses
turbines or stationary blades. It can un-spin the air.
• The stability of hovercraft depends on shape of the body. The stability is
high for larger area of base.
• The speed will increases for longer and narrow shapes. But the stability
decreases. The hovercraft with round ends has stability and speed.
• As stability increases, the speed will decrease. The hovercraft will float on a
cushion of air which is float due to the force under craft by fan. This is the
reason for rising or lifting of craft.
• The lift amount is depending on the size of craft.
• Amount of total weight that can raised by hovercraft = cushion pressure *
area of hovercraft.