The Effect of a Sheared Crosswind Flow on Car Aerodynamics

In the wind tunnel the effect of a wind input on the aerodynamic characteristics of any road vehicle is simulated by yawing the vehicle. This represents a wind input where the wind velocity is constant with height above the ground. In reality the natural wind is a boundary layer flow and is sheared so that the wind velocity will vary with height. A CFD simulation has been conducted to compare the aerodynamic characteristics of a DrivAer model, in fastback and squareback form, subject to a crosswind flow, with and without shear. The yaw simulation has been carried out at a yaw angle of 10° and with one shear flow exponent. It is shown that the car experiences almost identical forces and moments in the two cases when the mass flow in the crosswind over the height of the car is similar. Load distributions are presented for the two cases. The implications for wind averaged drag are discussed.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.4271/2017-01-1536
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/19463995
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of SAE International.
• Authors:
  • Howell, Jeff
  • Forbes, David
  • Passmore, Martin
  • Page, Gary
• Conference:
  • WCX™ 17: SAE World Congress Experience
  • Location: Detroit Michigan, United States
  • Date: 2017-4-4 to 2017-4-6
• Publication Date: 2017-3-28

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 278-285
• Serial:
  • SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars - Mechanical Systems
  • Volume: 10
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: SAE International
  • ISSN: 1946-3995
  • EISSN: 1946-4002
  • Serial URL: https://www.sae.org/publications/collections/content/E-JOURNAL-06/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerodynamics; Automobiles; Crosswinds; Drag; Load transfer; Wind shear
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01635477
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: SAE International
• Report/Paper Numbers: 2017-01-1536
• Files: TRIS, SAE
• Created Date: May 25 2017 1:56PM