Aerodynamic Effect of the Gurney Flap on the Front Wing of a F1 Car and Flow Interactions with Car Components

Autor: Mattia Basso, Carlo Cravero, Davide Marsano
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Energies, Vol 14, Iss 8, p 2059 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1996-1073
DOI: 10.3390/en14082059
Popis: The design of a racing car needs several aerodynamic design steps in order to achieve high performance. Each component has an aerodynamic interaction with the others and high performance requires a good match between them. The front wing is undoubtedly one of the main components to determine car performance with a strong interaction with the downstream components. The Gurney Flap (GF) is a small appendix perpendicular to the pressure side of the front wing at the trailing edge that can dramatically improve the front wing performance. In the literature, the performance of a GF on a single profile is well documented, while in this paper the GF mounted on the front wing of a racing car has been investigated and the interactions through the 3D flow structures are discussed. The global drag and downforce performance on the main components of the vehicle have been examined by comparing the cases with and without a GF. The GF increases the downforce by about 24% compared to a limited increase in the drag force. A fluid dynamic analysis has been carried out to understand the physical mechanisms of the flow interaction induced to the other components. The GF, in fact, enhances the ground effect, by redistributing the flow that interacts differently with the other components i.e., the wheel zone.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals