Aerodynamics of Transport Vehicles
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Engineering
Abstract
My research will incorporate both experimental and computational techniques to analyse airflow
under transport vehicles, focusing on areas around the wheels and the wake. There is also some
scope to investigate other aspects of vehicle aerodynamics for example the drag effects of different
automobile A pillar designs.
Testing will be carried out using a modular model at Glasgow Universities state of the art wind
tunnel facility. Three-dimensional imaging techniques such as high speed stereo PIV or volumetric
PIV shall be implemented to obtain data about the air flow allowing me to conduct stability analysis.
Synthetic jets, flaps and plasma actuators will be employed as flow control measures and their
effectiveness shall be investigated. As the Universities facilities can control both wind speed and
yaw, there is scope to obtain a large range of experimental data.
The practical testing shall be carried out in conjunction with computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Initially the CFD results will be verified by the practical tests however the aim is to alter the CFD
model to incorporate many different designs and flow control measures in order to help find an
optimised design. This process would be extremely costly and time consuming if it were done on a
practice model however CFD allows for a wide range of tests to be carried out over a relatively short
period of time.
This is important research as increasing our understanding of complex airflows such as that on the
underside of transport vehicles allows for control measures to be put in place. This could not only
improve efficiency by reducing drag but it could also help reduce noise. As part of the research, a
variety of flow control techniques shall be tested to provide a clear path for future economical
design. Other possible outcomes include the development of vehicle platooning which shall become
more important as automation increases in transport vehicles.
under transport vehicles, focusing on areas around the wheels and the wake. There is also some
scope to investigate other aspects of vehicle aerodynamics for example the drag effects of different
automobile A pillar designs.
Testing will be carried out using a modular model at Glasgow Universities state of the art wind
tunnel facility. Three-dimensional imaging techniques such as high speed stereo PIV or volumetric
PIV shall be implemented to obtain data about the air flow allowing me to conduct stability analysis.
Synthetic jets, flaps and plasma actuators will be employed as flow control measures and their
effectiveness shall be investigated. As the Universities facilities can control both wind speed and
yaw, there is scope to obtain a large range of experimental data.
The practical testing shall be carried out in conjunction with computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Initially the CFD results will be verified by the practical tests however the aim is to alter the CFD
model to incorporate many different designs and flow control measures in order to help find an
optimised design. This process would be extremely costly and time consuming if it were done on a
practice model however CFD allows for a wide range of tests to be carried out over a relatively short
period of time.
This is important research as increasing our understanding of complex airflows such as that on the
underside of transport vehicles allows for control measures to be put in place. This could not only
improve efficiency by reducing drag but it could also help reduce noise. As part of the research, a
variety of flow control techniques shall be tested to provide a clear path for future economical
design. Other possible outcomes include the development of vehicle platooning which shall become
more important as automation increases in transport vehicles.
