Aerodynamic Drag Mechanisms Of Bluff Bodies And Road Vehicles

These Proceedings contain the papers and oral discussions presented at the Symposium on AERODYNAMIC DRAG MECHANISMS of Bluff Bodies and Road Vehides held at the General Motors Research Laboratories in Warren, Michigan, on September 27 and 28, 1976. This international, invitational Symposium was the twentieth in an annual series, each one having been in a different technical discipline. The Symposia provide a forum for areas of science and technology that are of timely interest to the Research Laboratories as weIl as the technical community at large, and in which personnel of the Laboratories are actively involved. The Symposia furnish an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and current knowledge between participating research specialists from educational, industrial arid governmental institutions and serve to stimulate future research activity. The present world-wide energy situation makes it highly desirable to reduce the force required to move road vehicles through the atmosphere. A significant amount of the total energy consumed for transportation is expended in overcoming the aerodynamic resistance to motion of these vehicles. Reductions in this aerodynamic drag can therefore have a large impact on ground transportation energy requirements. Although aerodynamic development work on road vehides has been performed for many years, it has not been widely reported or accompanied by much basic research.

These Proceedings contain the papers and oral discussions presented at the Symposium on AERODYNAMIC DRAG MECHANISMS of Bluff Bodies and Road Vehides held at the General Motors Research Laboratories in Warren, Michigan, on September 27 and 28, 1976. This international, invitational Symposium was the twentieth in an annual series, each one having been in a different technical discipline. The Symposia provide a forum for areas of science and technology that are of timely interest to the Research Laboratories as weIl as the technical community at large, and in which personnel of the Laboratories are actively involved. The Symposia furnish an opportunity for the exchange of ideas and current knowledge between participating research specialists from educational, industrial arid governmental institutions and serve to stimulate future research activity. The present world-wide energy situation makes it highly desirable to reduce the force required to move road vehicles through the atmosphere. A significant amount of the total energy consumed for transportation is expended in overcoming the aerodynamic resistance to motion of these vehicles. Reductions in this aerodynamic drag can therefore have a large impact on ground transportation energy requirements. Although aerodynamic development work on road vehides has been performed for many years, it has not been widely reported or accompanied by much basic research.

Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles details the aerodynamics of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, sports cars, and race cars; their external flow field; as well as their internal flow field. The book, after giving an introduction to automobile aerodynamics and some fundamentals of fluid mechanics, covers topics such as the performance and aerodynamics of different kinds of vehicles, as well as test techniques for their aerodynamics. The book also covers other concepts related to automobiles such as cooling systems and ventilations for vehicles. The text is recommended for mechanical engineers and phycisists in the automobile industry who would like to understand more about aerodynamics of motor vehicles and its importance on the field of road safety and automobile production.

The detailed presentation of fundamental aerodynamics principles that influence and improve vehicle design have made Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles the engineer’s “source” for information. This fifth edition features updated and expanded information beyond that which was presented in previous releases. Completely new content covers lateral stability, safety and comfort, wind noise, high performance vehicles, helmets, engine cooling, and computational fluid dynamics. A proven, successful engineering design approach is presented that includes: • Fundamentals of fluid mechanics related to vehicle aerodynamics • Essential experimental results that are the ground rules of fluid mechanics • Design strategies for individual experimental results • General design solutions from combined experimental results The aerodynamics of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, sports cars, and race cars is dealt with in detail, inclusive of systems, testing techniques, measuring and numerical aerodynamics methods and simulations that significantly contribute to vehicle development. Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles is an excellent reference tool and an indispensable source for the industry’s vehicle engineers, designers, and researchers, as well as for enthusiasts, students, and those working in academia or government regulatory agencies.

In the quixotic quest to reduce air pollution and fuel cars with alternative sources instead of gas, solar powered cars have emerged as one option. Although disagreements abound about the feasibility and practicality of these vehicles, this book presents the basics behind the idea of solar cars. From the construction of the engine to raising funds, the book is a valuable introduction to the present and future of the emission-free automobile.

Concern about the reduced availability and the increased cost of petroleum fuels prompted great efforts in recent years to reduce the fuel consumption of auto mobiles. The ongoing efforts to reduce fuel consumption have addressed many relevant factors, including increased engine performance, reduced friction, use of lightweight materials, and reduced aerodynamic drag. The results of the investigations assessing the various factors affecting fuel economy have been published in journals, conference proceedings, and in company and government reports. This proliferation of technical information makes it difficult for workers to keep abreast of aU developments. The material presented in this book brings together in a single volume much of the relevant materials, summarizes many of the state-of-the-art theories and data, and provides extensive lists of references. Thus, it is hoped that this book will be a useful reference for specialists and practicing engineers interested in the fuel economy of automobiles. J. C. HILLIARD o. S. SPRINGER vii CONTENTS 1. AUTOMOTIVE FUEL ECONOMY David Cole I. Introduction and Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . n. Fuel Economy Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 A. Engine................................................... 11 B. Drive Train. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C. Vehicle Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . D. Operating Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . E. Test Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. FUEL ECONOMY AND EMISSIONS J. T. Kummer I. Introduction .................................................. . 35 n. Emission Regulations .......................................... .