Fluid-Dynamic Force Measurement of Ahmed Model in Steady-State Cornering

Takuji Nakashima, Hidemi Mutsuda, Taiga Kanehira and Makoto Tsubokura
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Takuji Nakashima: Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
Hidemi Mutsuda: Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
Taiga Kanehira: Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
Makoto Tsubokura: RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CCS), 7-1-26 Minatojima-minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-20

Abstract: The effects of on-road disturbances on the aerodynamic drag are attracting attention in order to accurately evaluate the fuel efficiency of an automobile on a road. The present study investigated the effects of cornering motion on automobile aerodynamics, especially focusing on the aerodynamic drag. Using a towing tank facility, measurements of the fluid-dynamic force acting on Ahmed models during steady-state cornering were conducted in water. The investigation included Ahmed models with slant angles θ = 25° and 35°, reproducing the wake structures of two different types of automobiles. The drag increase due to steady-state cornering motion was experimentally measured, and showed good agreement with previous numerical research, with the measurements conducted at a Reynolds number of 6 × 10 5 , based on the model length. The Ahmed model with θ = 35° showed a greater drag increase due to the steady-state cornering motion than that with θ = 25°, and it reached 15% of the total drag at a corner with a radius that was 10 times the vehicle length. The results indicated that the effect of the cornering motion on the automobile aerodynamics would be more important, depending on the type of automobile and its wake characteristics.

Keywords: aerodynamics; automobile; cornering; Ahmed model; drag increase; on-road condition; towing tank test (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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