MAE solar car : design : aerodynamics

• Main Author: Zhang, Chaozhi
• Other Authors: David Lee Butler
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Motor vehicles
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16189
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With the rise in global warming awareness, clean energy has been increasingly popular. The biannual World Solar Challenge (WSC) is one of green events that features solar car racing. New regulations were added to bridge from adventurous to realistic designs. New and better designs emerge as technology progresses. Nanyang Technological University will be making her maiden appearance in the World Solar Challenge therefore design parameters on the influence on the aerodynamic drag of a solar car were discussed. In this project, a suitable turbulence model in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was determined by comparing with the results conducted on the Ahmed body. A Design of Experiment (DOE) comprising of influencing factors on the aerodynamic drag of the solar car was established to analyze the effects of the factors. Several scaled down models of the design adopted for the coming race, as well as a design proposed by the author were built. Flow visualizations were carried out on the two models to study the flow phenomenon. The results were compared and discussed.