Journal of Applied Science and Engineering

Published by Tamkang University Press

1.30

Impact Factor

2.10

CiteScore

Gopal P. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.1 and Senthilkumar T.1

1Department of Automobile Engineering, University College of Engineering (BIT Campus), Anna University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024, India


 

Received: December 12, 2012
Accepted: June 5, 2013
Publication Date: December 1, 2013

Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.2013.16.4.04  


ABSTRACT


The main causes of aerodynamic drag for automotive vehicles are the separation of flow near the vehicle’s rear end. By reducing the drag it is possible to increase the fuel economy. To delay flow separation, vortex generators are tested for application to the roof end of a representative car model. It is commonly used on aircraft to prevent flow separation. Vortex generators themselves create drag, but they also reduce drag by preventing flow separation at downstream. In this paper the effect of vortex generators in the flow field and the mechanism by which these effects take place are studied. The paper also illustrates the computational fluid dynamics analysis of vortex generators in the representative car model. Various flow characteristics like pressure and velocity distribution, path line characteristics, vector flow, and wake studies at the rear end are discussed in detail.


Keywords: Aerodynamic Drag, Passive Control Device, Drag Characteristics, Drag Coefficient, Vortex Generators


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