Determining Whether an Attached Air Dam or Air Dam with Splitter Generates

More Downforce on a Model Car in a Low-Speed Wind Tunnel

Gabriel Bialek and Ian Calandrino

Macomb Mathematics Science Technology Center

AP Physics

Section 12

Mr. McMillan / Mrs. Gravel / Mr. Acre / Mrs. Tallman

16 December 2019
 Determining Whether an Attached Air Dam or Air Dam with Splitter Generates
More Downforce on a Model Car in a Low-Speed Wind Tunnel

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether an air dam or an air

dam with splitter attached to a model car would generate a greater downforce when

placed into a wind tunnel. The objective to find the greatest generated downforce would

be beneficial to anyone that often takes the highway on their daily commute. The addition

of more downforce results in better traction when driving at high speeds. The air dam and

air dam with splitter were investigated to determine whether the addition of a splitter

would result in a more significant downforce. It was hypothesized that the air dam with

splitter would result in the greatest downforce because of the larger area creating more

high pressure air to push the car down.

A model car (control, air dam, or air dam with splitter) was placed into a wind

tunnel and the fans were set to the highest setting. This was repeated 30 times for each

car, and data was collected by the Vernier force sensor attached to the bottom of the car

with monofilament fishing line. The cars each produced lift, and a lower lift value was

interpreted as the part causing greater downforce. The control car produced an average

lift force of​ 0.0909​ Newtons, while the air dam with splitter produced an average lift

force of 0.0893 Newtons. The model car with the air dam resulted in producing the

greatest downforce with an average lift of 0.0704 Newtons. The means were compared

by using descriptive statistics and analyzing the boxplots of the data for each model car.

The tuning part that resulted in the greatest downforce is the model car with the air dam,

which leads to the conclusion that the air dam generated the most downforce.
 Table of Contents

Introduction​………………………………………………………………………………..1

Review of Literature​…………………………………………………………………….... 5

Problem Statement​………………………………………………………………………. 11

Experimental Design​……………………………………………………………………..12

Data and Observations​…………………………………………………………………... 17

Data Analysis and Interpretation​………………………………………………………... 24

Conclusion​………………………………………………………………………………. 27

Appendix A: Randomization of Trials​…………………………………………………...34

Appendix B: Professional Contact​……………………………………………………….35

Works Cited​…………………………………………………………………... ....……... 37

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Introduction

Statistics show that individuals losing control of their automobile at high speeds is

very common and dangerous to others. According to Strong Tie Insurance Services,

“Speeding is the second most common cause of road accidents in the United States [and]

vastly increases the risk of losing control of a vehicle and causing an accident” (“What

Are The Most Common Reasons for Road Accidents?”). If more cars were equipped with

tuning parts that generate more downforce to increase traction at high speeds, such as air

dams or air dams with splitters, the number of these accidents could be reduced and in

turn save lives. The increase in downforce would push the car down towards the road and

help the driver keep control when making turns or driving in wet conditions on the

highway.

The air dam and splitter are described as tuning parts because of their function in

increasing the aerodynamics of a vehicle. The air dam is a vertical extension of the front

bumper of a car that increases downforce and reduces drag because of how it blocks air

from going beneath the car and creates low and high pressure areas. Meanwhile, a front

splitter is a thin, horizontal extension that splits the air to create a larger high pressure

area when compared to an air dam. These tuning parts both use the same physics concept

in order to generate downforce. According to Michael R. from EZ Lip, “Both front air

dams and splitters have a similar function; to create lower and higher-pressure zones.

Interestingly enough, air dams do so but are less extreme in terms of their effect whereas

a front splitter’s effect increases in proportion to its size and the speeds to which it is

subjected” (​R, Michael). These parts are similar in function and placement but their
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effectiveness differs. The purpose of this experiment was to determine which tuning part

was the most effective at generating downforce when attached to a model car and placed

into a low speed wind tunnel.

Figure 1. Image of an Air Dam Attached to a Car. Image from ​“Xenon Front Air Dam
1979-1982 Mustang.” ​Mustang​,
www.mustangsunlimited.com/Mustang/Body/Air-Dams-Deflectors/Xenon-Front-Air-Da
m-1979-1982-Mustang.axd.

Figure 1, above, shows an image of an air dam attached to a car. The lower

extension of the bumper makes the front of the car more aerodynamic.

Figure 2. Image of Front Splitter Attached to a Car. Image from “#80718 - 818 Carbon
Fiber Front Splitter.” ​Factory Five Parts Catalog​,
www.factoryfiveparts.com/80718-818-carbon-fiber-front-splitter/.

Figure 2, above, shows an image of an air dam with a front splitter. This part and

the part shown above in Figure 1 are both considered tuning parts because they affect the

aerodynamics of the car.

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The parts were to be placed on the model car to determine which part best

increases downforce between the front air dam and the front splitter attached to an air

dam. According to CarsDirect, “Most cars that are produced are stock equipped with a

basic front air dam and are crucial for high speed stability” (​“How a Front Air Dam

Works.”). ​The two tuning parts were chosen because of their prevalence in consumer

automobiles and their similar functions and placement. ​The air dam is used in the car

industry and many car manufacturers utilize this tuning part. ​Determining which part

generates the greatest downforce is beneficial as it would allow cars to have more traction

when moving at high speeds.

Data was collected by placing the model car with the attached tuning part into a

wind tunnel while attached to a force sensor with a piece of fishing line. When the wind

tunnel is turned on, it simulates the driving conditions that a car experiences. As a result,

the fishing line would measure the change in upward force the car experienced while

being subjected to these conditions. This is because the air being blown at the car is

similar to if the car was driving through still air. The wind tunnel air being blown at the

car creates similar high and low pressure zones above and below the car. When

comparing the lift forces between the model cars, the lower lift force was interpreted to

be a greater downforce generated because the downforce stopped the car from lifting as

much.

The results of this research could be useful for the average commuter that drives

on the freeway to get to their destination. Drivers could make a more informed decision

on whether to add an air dam or air dam with splitter to their car in order to increase the
 Bialek - Calandrino 4

traction of their vehicle when driving at high speeds. Car manufacturers and designers

could also benefit from this research when deciding whether to incorporate just an air

dam or an air dam with front splitter. The results of this experiment will increase the

understanding of these tuning parts and how they generate downforce. Furthermore, this

can be used to improve civilian cars and make daily commutes safer with the addition of

one of these tuning parts to factory stock cars.

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Review of Literature

The principle that allows both air dams and front splitters to work is known as

Bernoulli’s principle. Found in the source from Daniel Cho, Tariq Alnuaimi, and Ranee

Perricone, the principle states, “when an incompressible, smoothly flowing fluid gains

speed, internal pressure in the fluid decreases, and vice versa”. This can be simplified to

mean that when a fluid, such as fast moving air, gains speed it becomes a low pressure

fluid and when it loses speed it becomes a high pressure fluid. These high and low

pressure zones are created by the specific shape of the front splitter, as it is similar to the

shape of an inverted plane wing. These high and low pressure zones are important as they

allow for downforce to be generated. The high pressure area moves to the lower pressure

area, and because this lower pressure area is beneath the car, the high pressure air pushes

down on the car as it moves below.

The air pressure that is created by the air dam and front splitter was analyzed to

understand how both tuning parts create the downforce needed. For a front splitter, it is

found most commonly on racing cars and used to balance the front and rear distribution

of downforce. The front splitter is a flat extension to the very bottom of the air dam. The

purpose of the front splitter is to produce aerodynamic downforce by creating a

difference in the air pressure on the upper and lower side of the splitter when the car is
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moving, which is why the Bernoulli principle creates downforce.

Figure 3. Image of a Front Splitter Attached to a Car. Image from ​“#80718 - 818 Carbon
Fiber Front Splitter.” ​Factory Five Parts Catalog​,
www.factoryfiveparts.com/80718-818-carbon-fiber-front-splitter/.
Figure 3, above, shows what the general shape of the front splitter looks like.

Air dams are commonly found on many civilian cars and most racing cars. The air

dam is a shaped part of the lower portion of the front bumper. It can be molded as a part

of the front bumper or it can be a separate part that is attached to the front-lower portion

of the front bumper. The air dam prevents air from going underneath the car and creating

drag. The function of the air dam and the front splitter is the same, it is just that the air

dam creates the different pressures less extremely (“Splitter and Air Dam.”).
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Figure 4. Image of an Air Dam Attached to a Car. Image from ​“Xenon Front Air Dam
1979-1982 Mustang.” ​Mustang,​
www.mustangsunlimited.com/Mustang/Body/Air-Dams-Deflectors/Xenon-Front-Air-Da
m-1979-1982-Mustang.axd​.

Figure 4, above, shows an example of an air dam attached to the bottom of a car
bumper.

Even though Bernoulli’s principle is a major factor of lift or downforce of a car,

the Coanda effect has an even larger role in producing lift. When a car is traveling at high

speeds, all of the air travels up the curvature of the hood and the curvature of the front

bumper. When too much of the air gets underneath the front bumper, the pressure

underneath the car starts to build up. This increase in air pressure contributes to lift,

which causes the front-end of the car to lift up, reducing the amount of traction at the

front of the car.

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Figure 5. The Coanda Effect Influencing the Car. Image from ​Aerodynamics and Court
Action​, www.a400mod.com/Aerodynamics and Court Action.htm.

Figure 5, above, shows a diagram of the Coanda effect interacting with the car

and creating lift. This is showing the fluid traveling in the direction of the car and then

following the curvature of the car, leading to the influence of lift under the car.

The higher pressure, slower-moving air under the car caused by the Coanda

effect results in an increased lift over the entire car when compared to the airspeed and

low pressure air above the car. The desired result is lower pressure, faster-moving air

below the car and higher pressure, slower moving air above the car. The lower pressure

underneath the car results in reduced lift. The splitter itself does not actually create the

downforce desired. The splitter increases the area over which high pressure can build up

above the splitter. The more high pressure there is above the splitter and the more low

pressure there is underneath the splitter, then the greater the downforce will be (“Splitter

and Air Dam.”). A visual representation and further explanation of the high and low

pressure zones is shown below in Figure 6.

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Figure 6. Aerodynamics of a Front Splitter. Image from ​“S2000 Aerodynamics.”

Aerodynamics,​ robrobinette.com/S2000Aerodynamics.htm.

Figure 6, above, shows two 2004 Honda S2000s placed inside a wind tunnel and

the CFD pressure plot, which shows a visual representation of the varying pressure

affected by the surface in which it comes into contact with. The top car is the model car

with the air dam and the bottom car is the model car with the front splitter attached to the

air dam. In both diagrams, the high pressure which is in red, is moving up above the

splitter and the air dam, and over the car and the low pressure which is in blue, is moving

below the car.

A similar experiment that was performed to determine how well drag was reduced

when using splitters placed inside a low speed wind tunnel. This experiment was done by

R. Ramanjaneyulu, an M. Tech scholar, K. Nagarjun, an assistant professor at Vignan’s

Lara Institute of Technology and Sciences in India, and G. Radha Krishna, a PhD scholar

at the School of Engineering at VIT University in India. This experiment was similar to

the performed because it also used a low speed wind tunnel to test the effectiveness of a

splitter. The research was performed by placing different sizes of splitters into the wind
 Bialek - Calandrino 10

tunnel and testing them against different wind speeds. The scale was then changed for

each different splitter to find the best ratio of height to length. The researchers

experiment was similar because both experiments tested splitters in low speed wind

tunnels on simulated roads. These former researchers found that a front facing splitter

reduces the most drag. They also found that the most efficient ratio of length to height to

be when it is 1.5 times as long as it is tall. They also determined that splitters perform the

best when they are parallel to the ground. The differences between these experiments are

that the researcher’s experiment tested for drag on only splitters, while in this research

the splitter will be compared to an air dam which will both be attached to model cars and

the downforce will be measured. This prior experiment provided guidelines for how to

dimension the splitter and how to attach it to the vehicle, parallel to the ground. It also

supported the hypothesis because the increased downforce generated by the splitter, when

also paired with the air dam, will generate more downforce than the air dam alone.

Another prior research experiment that tested similar ideas was performed by Min

Ye Koo, Ji Ho Ahn, Byung Il You, and Gyo Woo Lee of World Academy of Science,

Engineering and Technology in Paris. This experiment was similar to the one described

in this paper because both experiments tested the effectiveness of an air dam. The

differences are that the prior research tested different sizes and placement of air dams and

analyzed their data using a computer program called ANSYS. These researchers found

that the air dam is effective in creating downforce, but it greatly depends on the size,

placement, and speed that the vehicle is traveling at. They also determined that the larger

the air dam was, the more effective it became. This influenced the size of the air dam
 Bialek - Calandrino 11

used when collecting data to investigate the downforce created. This research project

offered useful information in the effectiveness of air dams in creating downforce and the

optimal size and placement height of an air dam. This also supported the hypothesis that

the air dam with splitter would be more effective than the air dam. The air dam with

splitter would combine the benefits of both tuning parts; thus, generating more downforce

than the air dam alone.

The conclusions of both of these prior research projects were used to help

determine and support the hypothesis that the air dam with splitter will create the most

downforce when compared to no tuning part attached to a model car and an air dam

attached to a model car. The researchers’ professional contact, A.J. Dudon, who is the

founder and CEO of All-Fit Automotive, also supported this hypothesis when he stated,

“An air dam helps move the air more efficiently at lower speeds offering greater benefits

than a splitter. A splitter requires much higher speeds to see benefits from splitting the

air”(Dudon). This supported the conclusion that the addition of an air dam with splitter

would result in the greatest downforce when compared to no tuning part, and just an air

dam. This is because the wind-tunnel is simulating a car driving at freeway speeds, in

which case the front splitter would be effective and when coupled with the air dam would

generate more downforce. When the air dam and splitter are both attached to the front of

the car, they create a larger high pressure area over the car and a low pressure area

beneath the car which results in greater downforce and reduced lift. This is known as

Bernoulli’s principle and is the fundamental idea that explains how both the front splitter

and air dam create downforce.

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Problem Statement

Problem​:

The purpose of this research experiment was to determine whether a front air dam or

front splitter attached to an air dam on a ​styrofoam​ model car will generate greater downforce in

a low-speed wind tunnel.

Hypothesis​:

The air dam with the front splitter will generate the greatest downforce when

mounted to the front bumper of the styrofoam model car. The air dam with the front

splitter will create the greatest area of high pressure above the car, which will result in

greater downforce.

Data Measured​:

The independent variable of the experiment was the type of part that was being

investigated while attached to the model car. The dependent variable in this experiment

was the lift force that was generated by the air interacting with the car in the wind tunnel,

which was measured in Newtons. Greater downforce was interpreted as a lower lift in the

experiment. A control car was utilized, where no part was attached, and the downforce

was measured and used to compare to the other two model cars. For this experiment,

descriptive statistics was used in order to compare the results of the air dam, the air dam

with a front splitter, and the control.

 Bialek - Calandrino 13

Experimental Design

Materials​:

(4) Styrofoam Block 12.5 cm x 6 cm x 2.5 cm (2) Wheel Axle

(4) Toy Car Wheel (3.5 cm diameter) Vernier Force Sensor with Hook
Wind Tunnel (MMSTC) Table Jigsaw (MMSTC)
Ruler TI-Nspire CX Randomization
Super Glue Monofilament Fishing Line
Hot Glue Gun Masking Tape
Sharpie Sandpaper

Procedure​:

Making the Model Car

​ igure 8​,​ on the side of one

1. Draw a sketch of a basic car shape, shown below in​ F
styrofoam block with a Sharpie marker to the exact dimensions shown in the figure.

2. Cut out the sketch of the model car on the styrofoam block using the table jigsaw.

3. Use sandpaper to sand any extremities or unevenness of the cut-out model car and
sand out a 1 mm x 2 mm x 1 mm rectangular canal for the axle.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for two more model cars. The final product can be found below, in
Figure 10.

Making Air Dam and Splitter

5. Take the fourth styrofoam block and mark an area with the sharpie 1.5 cm long x 6
cm wide x 0.5 cm tall for the splitter and two 1 cm long x 6 cm wide x 2 cm tall areas
for the air dams, as shown below in Figure 8.

6. Sand the three parts until they are smooth and even. The final product can be found
below, in Figure 11.

Securing Tuning Parts to Respective Cars

7. Apply super glue to the top of the air dam part.

8. Secure the air dam to the bottom of the front bumper of the model car so that it is
flush with the front bumper and perpendicular to the ground.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for the second model car.

 Bialek - Calandrino 14

10. Apply super glue to one of the long sides of the splitter and attach it to the bottom of
the air dam so that it is parallel to the ground and sticks out away from the car, as
shown below in Figure 9.

11. Place the axle of both wheels into their respective canals. Apply a small piece of
painters tape to hold them in place.

Collecting Data

12. Use the hot glue gun to attach 15.5 cm of fishing line to the bottom and directly in the
center of all three model cars.

13. Randomize all trials as described in ​Appendix A.​

14. Use masking tape to attach a 5 cm long x 5 cm wide x 2.5 cm tall triangular piece of
styrofoam inside the wind tunnel so that the string attached to the bottom of the
model car be connected to the force sensor and be perpendicular to the table without
touching anything.

15. Place the randomly chosen car into the wind tunnel so that it is pushing against the
styrofoam blocker. Feed the fishing line through the wind tunnel so that it can be
attached to the force sensor directly below the car.

16. Tie the fishing line around the force sensor which should be connected to the
LabQuest, which should then be plugged into the laptop.

17. Zero the force sensor, then tie the fishing line to the hook on the force sensor so that
the force (Newtons) reads 0.5.

18. Once the force is 0.5 Newtons secure the fishing line and knot to the hook on the
force sensor by wrapping it in masking tape.

19. Zero the force sensor and allow approximately 5 seconds for the force to zero.

20. Turn on the wind tunnel to the high setting and record data for 10 seconds.

21. Record the force displayed on the Logger Pro software when the time equals exactly
10 seconds.

22. Repeat steps 15-22 for 90 trials.

 Bialek - Calandrino 15

Diagram​:

Figure 7. Materials Used in the Experiment

Figure 7, above, shows the materials used to set up and conduct the experiment.

The materials used were four styrofoam blocks, a meter stick, a laptop, hot glue gun,

Vernier Force Sensor with hook, TI-Nspire CX, super glue, fishing line, Sharpie, hot

glue. Other materials used but not included in Figure 7 were the wind tunnel, sandpaper

and the laptop with the Logger Pro software.

 Bialek - Calandrino 16

Figure 8. Sketch of the Car and Tuning Parts

Figure 8, above, shows what the sketch of the basic car shape looks like on a

styrofoam block with dimensions. Also shown above, on the right, is the sketch for the

two air dams and the splitter on the extra styrofoam block. The lines were used as a guide

for cutting the parts using the table jigsaw. The air dams were made as rectangles, even

though they appear as trapezoids, and were made exactly the same size and shape.

Figure 9. Attached Air Dams and Front Splitter

Figure 9, above, shows how the parts are to be attached to their respective cars.

The air dams are to be flush with the front bumper, and the splitter is to be horizontal to

the ground.
 Bialek - Calandrino 17

Figure 10. Model Car

Figure 10, above, shows what the final product should look like after successfully

completing steps one through three. Three of these models have to be made to complete

the experiment.

Figure 11. Air Dam and Splitter

Figure 11, above, shows what the air dam and splitter should look like after

completing steps five and six. Two air dams should be made and only one splitter has to

be made. These parts are to be attached to the bumper as described in the procedure

above.
 Bialek - Calandrino 18

Figure 12. Experimental Set-Up

Figure 12, above, shows what the final set up of the experiment looked like. The

Vernier Force Sensor with the hook was attached to the Lab Quest which was attached to

the laptop, not pictured, to display the downforce. The Vernier Force Sensor with the

hook is attached to a monofilament fishing line as signified above by the green line. This

was connected to the bottom of the model car inside the wind tunnel to measure the lift

that the car experienced.

 Bialek - Calandrino 19

Data and Observations

The experiment measured the lift force of three model cars, one control, one with

attached air dam, and one with attached air dam with splitter. The following tables and

figures include all of the data collected throughout the experiment, observations made,

and any photos pertaining to the experiment.

Table 1
Control Data Table
 Bialek - Calandrino 20

Table 1 shows the force (Newtons) of the lift that was generated by the control

car, the car without any tuning parts added. The average lift force was calculated by

summing all of the individual forces and then dividing by the number of trials, 30.

Table 2
Air Dam Data Table
 Bialek - Calandrino 21

Table 2 shows the force (Newtons) of the lift that was generated by the car with

the air dam attached. The average lift force was calculated by summing all of the

individual forces and then dividing by the number of trials, 30.

Table 3
Air Dam With Splitter Data Table
 Bialek - Calandrino 22

Table 3 shows the force (Newtons) of the lift that was generated by the car with

both the air dam and front splitter attached. The average lift force was calculated by

summing all of the individual forces and then dividing by the number of trials, 30.

Several observations were made for each set of data and for each model car, the

control, air dam, and air dam with splitter. These observations can be found below in

Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6.

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Table 4
Control Car Trial Observations

Table 4 shows the observations that were made throughout trials for the control

car. Figure 13​,​ below, shows an example of a typical problem that was observed for all

three data sets. This problem caused several trials to be redone.

Table 5
Air Dam Trial Observations

Table 5 shows the observations that were made throughout trials for the car with

the air dam attached.

 Bialek - Calandrino 24

Table 6
Air Dam with Splitter Trial Observations

Table 6 shows the observations that were made throughout trials for the car with

the air dam and splitter attached.

Figure 13. Model Car Lifted on Top of Stopping Block

Figure 13, above, displays a very common observation that was recorded for all

three trial types. Occasionally, the wind tunnel would cause so much lift on the car that it

would lift and get stuck on the block that was supposed to hold it in place. The rear

wheels were lifted off of the horizontal surface inside the windtunnel; this distance was

shown above with the red lines. These trials were redone because the lift force was
 Bialek - Calandrino 25

affected by the car being stuck on the block. This happened for trials 22 for the control

data set, trials 44 and 64 for the air dam data set, and trial 13 for the car with the air dam

and splitter data set.

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Data Analysis and Interpretation

In this experiment, three model cars were fitted with an air dam, an air dam with

splitter, or no tuning parts and placed into a low-speed wind tunnel. The purpose of this

experiment was to determine which tuning part would result in the greatest downforce, or

reduction in lift force. The data that was collected was the lift force, in Newtons. This

data was collected by attaching the model cars, via fishing line, to a Vernier force sensor

that recorded the lift force the car experienced when in the wind tunnel. ​In this

experiment multiple steps were taken in an attempt to ensure that the data collected was

accurate. To ensure that this data collected was accurate, the researchers conducted what

is called a Randomized Comparative Experiment, otherwise known as a CRR. The first

step in ensuring that the data is correct was making sure that all trials were done under

the same conditions to minimize the effect of lurking variables. This was done by

keeping the roles of each researcher the same throughout all trials, making sure that the

car in the wind tunnel was exposed to the wind for exactly ten seconds, and making sure

that the tension in the string for each trial was the same. The next step was to randomize

the trials in order to spread out any confounding variables among the different trials so

the effects would be equally dispersed. This process allowed for more accurate data

measurements. In randomizing the data, a list was created with 30 trials for the control

car, the car with the air dam, and the car with the air dam with splitter trials. Then, a

sequence of random numbers between 1 and 90 was generated and each number in the

sequence was assigned to each trial. Lastly, repetition of the experiment was done to

reduce variability of the experiment.

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Figure 14. Box Plots of Control, Air Dam, and Air Dam with Splitter

Figure 14 shows the box plots of each data set on the same graph. There were no

outliers in any of the data sets. The box plot for the control car is shown above in blue,

the car with the air dam is shown in orange, and the car with the air dam with splitter is

shown in green. The box plot for the control car is fairly symmetric because the mean and

the median are almost exactly the same. The box plot for the car with the air dam is

slightly less than the median for the data and the data is also slightly left-skewed. The

box plot for the car with the air dam with splitter is also left skewed and the mean is

slightly greater than the median for the data set. The box plot for the control car is greater

than 100% of the data for the air dam car and the air dam with splitter car. The box plots

for the car with the air dam and the car with the air dam with splitter overlap, but 75% of

the data for the air dam with splitter car is greater than 75% of the data for the car with

the air dam.

 Bialek - Calandrino 28

The mean for the control car trials was 0.0909 Newtons, the mean for the car with

the air dam trials was 0.0704 Newtons, and the mean for the car with the air dam with

splitter was 0.0893 Newtons.

Overall, the car with the air dam was able to generate the greatest downforce

when compared to the car with the air dam with splitter and the control car. This was

determined by analyzing the three boxplots shown in Figure 14. The boxplot for the car

with the air dam was below 100% of the control car boxplot. This shows that the car with

the air dam generated a significantly greater amount of downforce when compared to the

control car. When comparing the car with the air dam and the car with the air dam with

splitter, 75% of the data for the car with the air dam was less than 75% of the data for the

car with the air dam with splitter. The difference between the averages of the car with the

air dam and the car with the air dam with the splitter was 0.0189 Newtons. The

researchers determined the differences in lift force shown on the boxplots and the

difference in mean force values for the data sets to be that the car with the air dam was

able to generate greater downforce.

 Bialek - Calandrino 29

Conclusion

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether an attached air dam or

an attached air dam with front splitter on a model car placed into a wind tunnel would

generate the greatest downforce​. This was done by measuring the lift force using a

Vernier force sensor and a LabQuest. The randomized model car was placed inside the

wind tunnel and the tunnel was put on the highest wind setting possible. After 10

seconds, the lift force was measured in Newtons. The data was then analyzed to

determine if the data collected showed a significant difference in the downforce

generated by the tuning part. This was done by recording the lift force, in Newtons, after

10 seconds, graphing these data points in three boxplots on the same axis, and analyzing

the boxplots for the different car models. This data was analyzed using descriptive

statistics to determine if the difference between the data for attached air dam and air dam

with splitter was statistically significant.

The hypothesis that the car with the air dam and splitter would generate the

greatest downforce was rejected because the car with the air dam generated the greatest

downforce. When comparing the means between all three, the mean for the car with the

air dam trials of 0.0704 Newtons was lower than the mean for the car with the air dam

and splitter, 0.0883 Newtons, and the mean for the control car, 0.0909 Newtons.

After analyzing the data shown above, it was determined that the air dam

generated the most downforce. The range for the air dam car was a maximum lift force of

0.083 Newtons and a minimum lift force of 0.051 Newtons, which slightly overlapped

the air dam with splitter, with a maximum lift force of 0.102 Newtons and a minimum lift
 Bialek - Calandrino 30

force of 0.071 Newtons. The data for the control did not overlap either data set; this data

had a maximum lift force of 0.169 Newtons and a minimum lift force of 0.120 Newtons.

This data shows that the car with the air dam resulted in the lowest lift force generated,

which means the greatest downforce generated since it eliminates lift. The results

described above for the air dam and the air dam with splitter disagree with previous

scientific studies. Previous research stated that “the air dam alone creates a lot of low

pressure under the car so adding the splitter doesn’t add much more low pressure, but it

does move the low pressure forward which puts more pressure on the front wheels, which

in turn reduces pressure on the rear wheels” (“S2000 Aerodynamics”).

Figure 15. Aerodynamics of a Front Splitter. Image from ​“S2000 Aerodynamics.”

Aerodynamics,​ robrobinette.com/S2000Aerodynamics.htm.

​ Figure 15, above, shows a diagram of the different pressures that are created

with just an air dam attached to the car and an air dam with a front splitter attached to the

car. As shown above, the low pressure is moved closer to the front of the car for the air

dam with splitter.

According to S2000 Aerodynamics, the air dam with splitter should have resulted

in the greater downforce on the front wheels when compared to the air dam. However,
 Bialek - Calandrino 31

since the positioning of the monofilament fishing line was more toward the back wheels

on the model car, this was perceived as a greater lift for the car, when in reality, there was

greater downforce generated for the front wheels. This is because of the greater amount

of high pressure generated over the splitter that pushes down on the front of the car, this

in turn lifts the rear of the car slightly, which is shown below in Figure 16.

Figure 16. Forces Acting on the Model Car

Figure 16, above, shows the forces acting on the model car while inside the wind

tunnel. The longer red arrow pointing down shows a visual representation of the greater

downforce being generated at the front. The smaller red arrow pointing up shows a visual

representation of the slight lift of the rear of the car. The green line shows the

monofilament fishing line and where it is attached to the car.

This rear lift was interpreted by the Vernier force sensor as less downforce acting

on the car due to the placement of the monofilament line. The high and low pressure air is
 Bialek - Calandrino 32

created ​“when an incompressible, smoothly flowing fluid gains speed, internal pressure

in the fluid decreases, and vice versa” (​Cho). This previous research states that when a

fluid such as air is moving at a high speed, it has a lower pressure than when it is moving

at a lower speed. The high and low pressure affect the downforce of the car because of

Bernoulli’s principle, which states the lower speed, higher pressure air moves toward the

higher speed, lower pressure air. The high pressure air generated by the air dam and the

splitter above the car moves towards the lower pressure air under the car. The splitter

brought this high pressure air further away from the center of the car which resulted in an

uneven force being applied to the car that lifted the back wheels. While the results of the

individual parts compared to each other disagrees with previous research, they both were

able to increase downforce. While both parts created downforce, they did so in different

areas of the model car. The air dam generated a more evenly spread down force when

compared to the air dam with splitter, which concentrated the downforce on the front

wheels of the car, where the lift was not being measured.

Throughout the course of the experiment, some errors did occur. An issue with

the experiment was the first model cars that were used. When the experiment was first

done, a 2002 Ford SVT Focus model car was used. The air dam and the splitter was then

developed on SolidWorks and printed using a 3D printer. When this was placed inside

the wind tunnel, the researchers used a digital scale (0.1 g precision) to measure the

downforce that the model car generated in the wind tunnel. The issue that arose with this

is that model car was too heavy for the tuning parts and low wind speed to have a

measurable effect on the downforce of the car. To combat these issues, the researchers
 Bialek - Calandrino 33

used a styrofoam block and cut out a generic car shape to make the model car light

enough where it could be affected by the wind tunnel. The tuning parts were also made

out of styrofoam. The digital scale that was underneath the car was then replaced with a

string attached to a Vernier Force Sensor, which was able to collect more precise data and

measure the lift force instead of the downforce. Another error that occurred was the car

lifting on top of the stopping block behind the model car. The wind tunnel would produce

so much lift that it would lift the car and get the car stuck on the block that is supposed to

hold it in place. This resulted in the affected trials being redone. The error of the car

lifting over the stopping block was observed in trials 13, 22, 44, and 64. The most

profound error in the experimental design was the placement of the attachment point for

monofilament fishing line used to record the lift by the Vernier force sensor. This

placement resulted in the data disagreeing with previous research because it did not

account for downforce being focused on a certain section of the model car, which was the

case with the air dam with splitter. This could have been fixed if the string was attached

in both the front and the back. If the string was attached as shown below in Figure 17, it

would account for any rear or front lift and would better measure the downforce the car is

experiencing.
 Bialek - Calandrino 34

Figure 17. New Attachment Points of the Monofilament Fishing Line

Figure 17, above, shows a diagram of the hypothesized way to fix the error that

occured when collecting data for the lift force. Attaching the sting to the points where the

green line is shown would better measure the lift and downforce the car experiences,

because it takes into account the downforce in the front of the car and the lift in the rear

of the car.

The results for this experiment can benefit a large portion of the scientific

community, specifically, the automotive industry. The downforce of a vehicle may be

viewed as insignificant to a general consumer, but it is utilized in the design of every

consumer car and especially on racing cars. ​USA Today​ reports that there are roughly 210

million licensed drivers in the United States (“How Many People Drive Cars in the

United States”). Based on the conclusion described above, it would be recommended for

a driver looking to increase the downforce of their vehicle to purchase an air dam rather
 Bialek - Calandrino 35

than an air dam with splitter. It can also be noted that both the air dam and air dam with

splitter generated significantly more downforce than the car model with no tuning parts.

The addition of the air dam to a passenger vehicle would result in more downforce at

higher speeds; thus, creating more traction and allowing the car to have more control

when turning or driving at high speeds. Because of greater downforce, more traction is

present so the tires get a better grip on the pavement and do not slide or hydroplane as

easily. This results in a safer drive on highways where accidents often happen because of

lost grip.

While conducting the experiment, some questions arose which revolve around the

effects of other factors that help more conclusions to be drawn. Further experimentation

could investigate the results of other common tuning parts, such as a rear wing. The rear

wing is described as “A smooth, properly shaped wing with large end plates in a clean

airflow field can produce as much as 8 pounds of downforce for every pound of drag that

it creates” (Roberts). These other tuning parts also generate downforce and can be tested

in a similar experimental design to determine which would generate the most downforce.

Also, the experiment could be scaled up to life-size with the use of a high-speed wind

tunnel. The tuning parts could then be fitted to an actual car and tested, rather than on a

styrofoam model. The use of a high-speed wind tunnel could better simulate driving

speed on a road such as a highway. Further research could investigate which size of air

dam or splitter results in the greatest downforce by changing the different lengths and

heights of the parts.

 Bialek - Calandrino 36

Appendix A: Randomization of Trials

To randomize the experiment, use the TI-Nspire randomization feature. Create a

list of 90 different trials, where there are 30 trials for each model car in order (Control,

Air Dam, and Air Dam with Splitter). Then, generate random integers from 1 to 90 and

assign each trial down the list the randomized number that is generated. The result should

be a list of all trials that are randomly assigned a trial number. To perform the

experiment, start with the trial randomly assigned the number one, and then perform the

next trial in numerical order until all 90 have been completed.

 Bialek - Calandrino 37

Appendix B: Professional Contact

Professional Consultant Contact Form

Name​: Gabriel Bialek and Ian Calandrino

Research Topic​: Determining Whether an Attached Air Dam or Air Dam with Splitter

Generates More Downforce on a Model Car in a Low-Speed Wind Tunnel

Professional Contact Information

Name​: A.J. Dudon

Title​: CEO and Founder

Organization​: All-Fit Automotive

Phone​: (619) 500-3669

Email​: sales@allfitautomotive.com

Mailing Address​: 4475 Ashton Rd, Sarasota, FL 34233

Email​:
Hello AJ,
My name is Gabriel Bialek and I attend a school called Macomb Math Science
Technology Center located in Warren, MI. At this school, we perform a formal research
project and me and my partner, Ian Calandrino, are doing a physics research project that
compares both the air dam and the air dam with a front splitter to test which tuning part
will result in the greatest downforce. To mimic the car traveling on the road, we have a
low speed wind tunnel that the model car will be placed in. We would love it if you could
assist us and answer a few questions we have about our project.
Thank You,
Gabriel Bialek

Questions​:

1. Do you think it would be possible to measure the downforce on the model car in our
low speed wind tunnel?

2. Which part do you prefer for the average consumer, between an air dam or an air dam
with splitter?

3. Which part do you believe performs better in all conditions, such as city driving and
freeway driving?
 Bialek - Calandrino 38

Answers​:

1. We are more accustomed to providing information regarding full scale vehicles;

however, I do believe it would be possible to measure downforce for your model cars
in the wind tunnel. It depends on the weight of your models, but if you make the
tuning parts pronounced enough, I believe you will be able to collect solid data.
2. For a personal vehicle not found on a racetrack, I would recommend an air dam only.
An air dam helps move the air more efficiently at lower speeds offering greater
benefits than a splitter. A splitter requires much higher speeds to see benefits from
splitting the air. If the vehicle was moving at a higher speed, such as on the highway,
the splitter would be more useful.
3. In my opinion, air dams offer more benefits to consumer cars while lip splitters offer
less benefits when driving at low to average speeds. The air dam is more beneficial
for everyday driving, for example in the city, but the splitter becomes more beneficial
at higher speeds.

Thank you Mr. Dudon

We appreciate you for taking the time to answer all of our questions. Your answers have
provided very useful information that benefited our research project and helped us form
our hypothesis.
 Bialek - Calandrino 39

Works Cited

Cho, Daniel, et al. “Aerodynamics of Car Spoilers.” ​Penn State Hazleton,​ Sept. 2019,

www.personal.psu.edu/djs75/files/poster_student_2013b.pdf​.

Dudon, A.J. “Research Project Assistance.” Message to Gabriel Bialek. 17 September

2019. E-mail.

“How a Front Air Dam Works.” ​CarsDirect,​

www.carsdirect.com/aftermarket-parts/how-a-front-air-dam-works.

“How Many People Drive Cars in the United States?” ​Reference​, IAC Publishing,

www.reference.com/world-view/many-people-drive-cars-united-states-8c0c2a9af

6629a80.

Koo, Min Ye, et al. “Numerical Study of Effects of Air Dam on the Flow Field and

Pressure Distribution of a Passenger Car.” ​World Academy of Science,

Engineering and Technology,​ International Journal of Mechanical and

Mechatronics Engineering, 2017,

waset.org/publications/10006902/numerical-study-of-effects-of-air-dam-on-the-fl

ow-field-and-pressure-distribution-of-a-passenger-car.

Ramanjaneyulu, R., et al. “Experimental Investigation on Aerodynamic Drag Reduction

with Splitter Plate Technique Using Wind Tunnel.” ​Seventh Sense Research

Group,​ International Journal of Mechanical Engineering, Sept. 2016,

dx.doi.org/10.14445/23488360/IJME-V3I9P103

R, Michael. “Front Splitters & Air Dams.” ​EZ Lip,​ 29 Sept. 2019,

ezlip.com/front-splitters-a​ir-dams/​.
 Bialek - Calandrino 40

Roberts, Neil. “Air Dams, Splitters, Spoilers and Wings - Downforce Increases Grip,

Grip Decreases Lap Times, and Isn't That the Whole Point?” ​NASA Speed News

Magazine,​ 1 May 2013,

nasaspeed.news/tech/aero/air-dams-splitters-spoilers-and-wings-downforce-increa

ses-grip-grip-decreases-lap-times-and-isnt-that-the-whole-point/.

“S2000 Aerodynamics.” ​Aerodynamics,​

robrobinette.com/S2000Aerodynamics.htm.

“Splitter and Air Dam.” ​Formula 1 Dictionary,​

www.formula1-dictionary.net/splitter.html​.

“What Are The Most Common Reasons for Road Accidents?” ​Strong Tie Insurance

Services,​ Strong Tie Insurance, 2019,

www.strongtieinsurance.com/common-reasons-road-accidents/.