Aerodynamic Performance Analysis of Open-Wheel Vehicle: Investigation of Wings Installation Under Different Speeds

Abstract

Abstract An open-wheel vehicle with manual hybrid engine control with formula-like body shape was developed for a learning media at a vocational high school. This study aims to analyze the airflow of over the vehicle body as the effect of wing installation under various vehicle speeds. The investigations are to observe and evaluate the drag coefficient, drag force, lift coefficient, downforce, pressure distribution, streamlines, and velocity vector condition by emphasizing on the results from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. The study found that installing the front and rear wings contribute to the decrement of drag coefficient 0.07 points and keeping the drag force relatively constant since the projection area changed. The benefit of having wings installed significantly increases the downforce by 334 N, which is 5.51 times higher than without wings in the speed of 150 km/h. However, the engine cover gives a significant obstacle to airflow, reducing the functionality of the rear wing. As such, the presence of the rear wing does not have a substantial effect on reducing the wake region.