Introduction:

Aerodynamics is the study of how air interacts with moving objects as they move in relation to
one another. Aerodynamics applies to anything that moves through air, including people jogging
at a specific pace, cars driving along the road, birds flying overhead, etc. In our OEL, under the
heading “Aerodynamics drag reduction of passenger car," we are discussing the aerodynamics of
numerous vehicles used in daily life and for diverse reasons, including some domestic used
vehicles. After choosing them, we will build 3D models of these cars and then analyses them
using ANSYS FLUENT MODEL, a widely used piece of software.
Aerodynamics plays a crucial role in the design and performance of passenger cars. The
aerodynamic characteristics of a car directly affect its fuel efficiency, stability, and overall
performance. In order to optimize the design of a car and improve its performance, it is important
to understand the flow of air around it. The coefficient of drag, commonly known as Cd, is a key
parameter that quantifies the aerodynamic efficiency of a car. Cd is a measure of how easily a car
moves through the air and is directly related to the drag force that the car experiences. A lower
Cd value indicates better aerodynamic performance, resulting in reduced fuel consumption,
improved stability, and higher speeds. In this report, we will conduct an aerodynamic study to
determine the Cd value of a passenger car. The study will be conducted using computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to simulate the flow of air around the car and analyze the
resulting drag force. By accurately determining the Cd value, we can identify areas for
improvement in the car's design and help optimize its overall performance.
In order to perform a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis of the passenger car model, I
created a detailed surface model of the vehicle using SolidWorks 2021. The passenger car model
is characterized by its dimensions of 3300mm in length, 1410mm in height, and 1405mm in
width. Using SolidWorks 2021 allowed me to accurately model the complex geometry of the
passenger car surface, including the curves and contours that are crucial for an accurate CFD
analysis. By creating this detailed surface model, I was able to perform a thorough CFD analysis
of the passenger car model and gain insights into its aerodynamic performance.
Quality of the Simulations:

Overall, the simulation results provide valuable insights into the aerodynamic performance of the
passenger car and can be used to optimize its design for better performance.
After running the simulation in ANSYS Fluent, the velocity vectors were obtained and analyzed.
The velocity vectors showed the direction and magnitude of the fluid flow around the passenger
car. The vectors showed that the fluid flow was directed towards the front of the car at the inlet
and then around the car's surface, creating areas of low and high velocity. The vectors also
showed that the flow separated from the car's surface at the rear end, creating a wake region. By
analyzing the velocity vectors, we were able to gain insight into the fluid flow behavior and its
effects on the car's aerodynamics.

Figure 1 Velocity vectors showing the magnitude and directions of the flow

The streamlines in the ANSYS Fluent simulation show the paths taken by the fluid flow around
the passenger car. By analyzing the streamlines, we can observe the flow behavior and visualize
how the air moves over the car's surface. The streamlines show that the air flows smoothly over
the front of the car and then separates near the windshield, resulting in a wake behind the car.
This wake can cause increased drag on the car, as well as increased turbulence and air resistance.
Overall, analyzing the streamlines can provide valuable insights into the aerodynamics of the car
and help to optimize its design for improved performance
 Figure 2 Streamlines are smooth before the rear part and being separated

near the windshield and forming the wake region

1.
ANSYS Workbench is a sophisticated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) programme for
simulating and analysing fluid flow in a wide range of applications, including vehicle
aerodynamics. The velocity contour is one of numerous post-processing tools in ANSYS
Workbench that may assist engineers in visualising and analysing fluid flow behaviour.
After running an ANSYS Workbench simulation on a vehicle, velocity contour analysis can be
used to show the velocity distribution and behaviour of the fluid flow over and around the
vehicle. The velocity contour map is color-coded, with various colours denoting varying
magnitudes of velocity. High velocity zones are exhibited in warm colours like red and orange,
while low velocity areas are presented in cool colours like blue and green.

Figure 3 velocity contour representing different velocities on different areas of vehicle

Areas of high and low pressure can be detected that may negatively effect vehicle performance
by analysing the total pressure distribution around the vehicle, and then adjust the vehicle design
to decrease pressure losses and increase overall performance. Overall, streamlines that reflect
total pressure give engineers with a strong visualisation tool that may aid in the optimisation of a
passenger car's design for increased performance and efficiency.
 Figure 4 Streamlines representing the high and low pressure around the vehicle

Knowledge of the parameters:

For the aerodynamic analysis of the passenger car model, we used the ANSYS Workbench
platform, specifically version 2020R1, in conjunction with ANSYS Fluent. The ANSYS
Workbench platform enabled us to efficiently set up and manage the various simulations
required for the analysis. We imported the detailed surface model of the passenger car, created
using SolidWorks 2021, into ANSYS Workbench 2020R1.
3.3.1 Import Geometry:
After creating a 3D model of the passenger car vehicle in SolidWorks 2021, the next step was to
import the geometry into ANSYS Fluent for further analysis. This allowed for a more detailed
and accurate analysis of the vehicle's aerodynamics, including the evaluation of drag and lift
forces, turbulence, and other important factors that influence the vehicle's performance and
handling. The use of ANSYS Fluent, provided a powerful tool for simulating and analyzing the
aerodynamics of the passenger car vehicle, enabling researchers and engineers to gain a deeper
understanding of its performance characteristics and identify potential areas for improvement in
its design.
Once the passenger car vehicle geometry was imported into ANSYS Fluent, the next step was to
define the computational domain, or enclosure, in which the simulation would be conducted. The
enclosure is the region surrounding the vehicle that includes the fluid domain and any other
relevant boundaries, such as walls or inlets/outlets. In this case, a suitable enclosure was defined
around the passenger car geometry with dimensions of 4 meters in the positive x direction, 2
meters in the positive y direction, and 1 meter in the positive z direction. The enclosure also had
dimensions of 4 meters in the negative x direction, 0.5 meters in the negative y direction, and 1
meter in the negative z direction. The geometry was appropriately positioned within the
enclosure to ensure that it was fully immersed in the fluid domain. Defining the enclosure was an
important step in preparing the simulation for analysis and ensuring that the results were accurate
and meaningful. By defining an appropriate enclosure, researchers and engineers were able to
conduct a more detailed analysis of the passenger car's aerodynamics and gain a deeper
understanding
of its performance characteristics.

Figure 5 Geometry of the passenger car bounded by the enclosure imported in the in ANSYS Fluent

3.3.2 Meshing
After defining the computational domain, the next step in the simulation process was to create a
mesh. Meshing is the process of dividing the computational domain into a grid of small,
interconnected elements, each of which contains information about the fluid flow and other
relevant physical properties. A high-quality mesh is essential for obtaining accurate and reliable
results from a simulation, and the size and resolution of the mesh must be carefully chosen based
on the complexity of the geometry and the desired level of accuracy. In this case, a high-quality
mesh was generated around the passenger car geometry using ANSYS Fluent's built-in meshing
tools. The mesh was carefully refined in areas of high flow gradients or other areas of interest,
and a suitable boundary layer mesh was also created near the passenger car's surfaces to better
capture the near-wall flow physics. Once the mesh was generated, it was thoroughly checked for
quality and consistency to ensure that it was appropriate for the simulation. By creating a high-
quality mesh, researchers and engineers were able to obtain accurate and meaningful results from
the simulation and gain a deeper understanding of the passenger car's aerodynamics.
 Figure 6 Meshing of CAD model

Figure 7 Refined meshing of CAD model

 Figure 8: Meshing of the enclosure along with refined meshing of passenger car

3.3.3 Mesh Sizing

For this simulation, a mesh size of 0.6 meters was applied to the enclosure by default, as per the
provided information. The enclosure was meshed using a structured mesh to ensure consistent
and regular mesh sizing throughout the domain. However, for the passenger car car, a finer mesh
size of 0.3 meters was chosen to capture the complex geometry and ensure accurate flow
predictions around the vehicle. Face meshing and refinement techniques were applied to the
passenger car surfaces to further improve the mesh quality near the walls and capture the near-
wall flow physics. These techniques ensured that the mesh resolution was appropriately high in
regions of interest while maintaining a reasonable computational cost. The resulting mesh
contained a total of 76,231 nodes and 407,503 elements. Once the mesh was generated, a
thorough quality check was performed to ensure that it was free of errors and suitable for the
simulation
Figure 10 Selection of dimension for default meshing Figure 9 Selection of dimensions for car refined
meshing

Figure 12 Face smoothing of car Figure 11 Statistics of sizing