Evaluation of CFD models in the design and analysis of aerodynamic packages for open wheel race cars

Abstract

Este trabajo de grado tuvo como propósito evaluar diferentes modelos de CFD para evaluar la aerodinámica de un vehículo de competencia y poder realizar nuevos diseños a partir de los resultados, adicionalmente, se creó una metodología para realizar las mallas necesarias de una manera confiable y se realizaron diferentes macros de post-procesamiento para que el proceso de análisis se pueda realizar de una manera más rápida. Finalmente se establecieron los mejores métodos de discretización para cada una de las variables de la simulación.

A computational study of the turbulent flow around an open wheel racecar is developed to predict the aerodynamic forces and the vortexes structures formed in the wake and around of the vehicle. The baseline geometry was obtained from Nicolas Perrin F1 Team. A hybrid mesh was developed using prisms near the vehicle surface and ten refinement boxes in the whole computational domain. Apart from a baseline geometry with a simplified aerodynamic package and no diffuser, 5 diffuser designs were realized to study the global effect that the diffuser has on the overall aerodynamic performance, aerodynamic coefficients and the local phenomena near the floor. The behavior of the front wing and its aerodynamic interaction with other elements of the vehicle, including diffuser and rear wing, was also studied. Overall drag and lift coefficients were found in good agreement with experimental data for these vehicles available in the literature. Velocity, pressure and vorticity...