Motorsport Aerodynamics

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Importance of Aerodynamics

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 Aerodynamic Design
Methodology
• CFD
– Develop parts and visualize flow over car and
devices before models are built
• Wind Tunnel
– Scale model testing of devices
– Full size testing of vehicle (rolling road)
• Track
– Devices are assessed and approved for
racing
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 Motorsports
• Heavily Regulated • Highly Developed
•Extremely Competitive • Highly Secretive

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 Front Air Dam

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• Limits the Amount of Air Passing

Underneath the Car
• Contributes to High Pressure In Front of
the Car
 Front Splitter

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Captures Some of the High Pressure Created In

Front of the Air Dam, Causing Downforce 6
 Side
Skirts

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• Side Skirts Prevent High Pressure Air Around the Car from
Disturbing the Low Pressure Underneath the Car

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Canards (French for Duck)

•Captures a Small Amount

of Downforce by Redirecting
Airflow Upward.

•Main Purpose is the

Creation of Large Vortices
That Run the Length of
the Vehicle

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 Canard Vortices

• Vortices Spin Inwards, Towards the Vehicle on Each Side

• Canard Vortices Work In Conjunction With Side Skirts

to Limit the High Pressure Air From Mixing With the 1
Low Pressure Air Found Underneath the Car 0
Venturi Tunnels / Rear Diffusers

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 Ground Effects
• Ride Height
– Downforce Increases
with Reduced Clearance h

– Diffuser Stall
• Individual to Each Design

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 Underbody Pressure

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• Suction Peak Occurs Near the Diffuser Entrance

• Can be used to Control the Vehicle Center of Pressure
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 Rear Diffuser
• Expands Air Back Down
to Road Velocity

• Slows the Flow and Raises

the Air Pressure

• Acts as a Pump Drawing

More Air from the Undertray

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• Rear Wing Drives the

Diffuser Because of its Proximity to the Wing's Low Pressure Side

• Reduce the Overall Pressure Drag on the Vehicle by Introducing High

Pressure Air into the Low Pressure Wake Region
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 Diffuser Vortices
• Two Vortices form at the Side Edges
of the Diffuser
– Flow Separates at the Sharp Leading Edge
– Reattached by the Side Vortices
– Separation Line is Dictated by the Leading
2
Edge
• Reynolds Number Effect Insignificant
• Reasons for Loss of Downforce at Low Ground Clearance
– Vortex Breakdown

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Venturi Tunnels

• Venturi effect
– constricts the flow
• creates low pressure
• high velocity flow

• Less pitch sensitive than flat

bottom
• Highly regulated to limit cornering
speeds

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 Underbody Vortices

• Induced vortex speeds

up flow over F-16 wing
– Vortex Lift Strakes
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• Vortex Generators speed

up flow at the front
– Strong stable vortex creates
suction loads along its trail
– Bernoulli says air
pressure decreases

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 Vortex Generators

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• Trips the Boundary Layer, Causing the Laminar Air Traveling

Over the Roof to Become Turbulent

• Typically the size of the boundary layer,

15mm - 30mm at the rear end of a vehicle roof
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Effect of VG’s on Flow Separation
VG Separation Region Separation Region

With VG Without VG 18
 Effect on Bluff Bodies

With VG
Without VG
• VG’s Cause Drag, but Reduce Pressure Drag by
Delaying Flow Separation from Occurring
Reducing the Magnitude of the Separation Region
Increases the Static Pressure of Separation Region
• Higher Velocities Closer to Car,
Resulting in a Smaller Wake Behind Vehicle 20
 Gurney Flaps

Typically 1% to 4% of the Wing Chord Length

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Effect of a Gurney Flap on Flow
• At High Angles of Attack,
Flow Separates

• Addition of Gurney Flap

Reattaches Flow

• Can Increase the Downforce

of the Wing up to 30%

• Can Provide the Same

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Amount of Downforce with

3O less Angle of Attack 22

 How a Gurney Flap
Works

• Vortices Reattach Flow and Redirect it Slightly Upwards

Relative to the Flow Over a “Clean” Wing, Implying An
Increase in Circulation as the cause of increased
Downforce

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Current Research on Gurney Flaps
• Von Karman Vortex Street
Forms Downstream of
Gurney Flap

• Fluid of Negative Vorticity

Becomes “Trapped”
Upstream of Gurney Flap

• Trapped Fluid Escapes,

Interfering Either
Constructively or
Destructively with
Downstream Vortices

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• Increases Circulation and
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Downforce
Additional Aerodynamic
Considerations

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Questions ?

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 References
• Jang et al, “Numerical investigation of an airfoil with a Gurney flap” 1998
• Katz, Joseph. “Aerodynamics of Race Cars” 2006
• Koike et al, “Research on Aerodynamic Drag Reduction by Vortex Generators” 2004
• Nikolic, “Additional Aerodynamic Features of Wing-Gurney Flap Flows” 2006
• Sport Compact Car Magazine “Automotive Aerodynamic: Part 2”
• Troolin et al, “Time Resolved PIV Analysis of Flow Over a NACA 0015 Airfoil with Gurney Flap” 2006
• Troolin et al, “Time Resolved PIV Analysis of a Gurney flap on a NACA 0015 Airfoil” 2005
• Troolin et al, “The Effect of Gurney Flap Height on Vortex Shedding Modes Behind Symmetric
Airfoils” 2006
• Zhang, Xin et al. “Ground Effect Aerodynamics of Race Cars” 2006
• www.army.mil/armyimages/armyimage.php?photo=6806
• www.autocult.com.au/img/gallery/997gt3773.jpg
•
• www.mulsannescorner.com
• www.seriouswheels.com
• www.topgear.com
• www.insideracingtechnology.com/tech107bndrylayer.htm
http://zedomax.com/blog/2007/04/19/rolling-wind-tunnel-t
hat-goes-at-180mph/

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