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Top 10 Tips to Optimize Car Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic is the most common term associated with downforce generation. There are certain car design specifications that need to be followed when it comes to accelerate the car speed. The fact that these specifications improve on fuel efficiency, acceleration, and cornering speed fueled the senses of many car manufacturers. These manufacturers further started implementing the concept in their car models that ply on roads and not on tracks. They have also introduced various measures to make cars aerodynamically better and more efficient.

Listed beneath are top 10 tips to optimize car aerodynamics:

Lower Ground Clearance

Ground clearance is the space between the automobile tyre base and the underside of the chassis. This is a critical factor that contributes to improve aerodynamics. Lower ground clearance means the centre of the mass of the car is lower, which eventually improves the car handling characteristics and reduces the possibilities of roll-over accidents when driving at higher speed. The most common way to lower ground clearance is to lower car suspension.

Minimize Frontal Area

Minimizing frontal area is of great significance in optimizing aerodynamics. If the frontal area is less, then there is less air resistance around the car, thereby reducing pressure and improving downforce. Frontal area can be easily minimized by lowering the car, fitting smaller front spoilers, and by narrowing the front tyres of the car. This will help improve car acceleration and traction between tyres and the road.

Addition of Spoilers

A spoiler is specifically designed to avoid unfavourable air movement across the car body in motion. Earlier these were only found in racing cars but these days many luxury cars and high-end sedans are also found equipped with spoilers. The key function of these spoilers is to diffuse the airflow and put an impact on the aerodynamics. It may improve or even worsen the car aerodynamics based upon the size and position of the spoilers. Large front spoilers help to increase front downforce and tall rear spoilers improves rear downforce.

Use Inverted Wing

In the early 1960s it was discovered that adding wings or airfoils to the rear end of the car creates a negative lift which finally generates a downforce. These wings have the power to push the airflow directly over the roof of the car’s surface without moving backward. Addition of wings also prevents turbulence caused due to backward flow of air and helps increase downforce. More downforce increases the weight or pressure on the car’s roof and thereby improve its cornering speed and road stability.

Use of Front Air Dams

The air dam is mounted underneath the front bumper of the car. The key function of the air dams is to manage airflow at the front of the car and take it away from the front car tyres. This flow of air prevents air from compressing under the nose of the car and prevents air from creating a high pressure area at the front, which may otherwise create a lift.

Reclining Windshield

If a straight windshield is used, the airflow will hamper the performance and speed of the car. This is because the air molecules of the flowing air will stagnate at one position. In case of a reclining windshield, the air flow between the hood of the car and windshield becomes smoother. This moves the force of air in the downward direction and creates a downforce.

Keep Protrusions Away

As the air flow moves across the sides of the car, the front wheels, rear view mirrors and the design of the car doors may become obstacles in the path of air. This further creates turbulence and generates lift. In such a case, it is always better to keep the protrusions like mirror away from the actual bodywork design of the car.

Use Side Fairings

It is found that many car bodies slope inward at the sides and form a bigger gap between the car tyres. Addition of side fairings or side skirts helps reduce the gap and transition the air around the tyres. This further helps to reduce the amount of air getting under the car and therefore increases downforce.

Use Underbody Diffusers

Rear diffusers are air channels designed to push air out from underneath of the car rear. The key function is to generate a low pressure area under the rear of the car and help minimize underbody wind turbulence. This further creates a negative lift at the rear of the car and improves aerodynamics.

Rake the Chassis

Chassis is a structural frame of the car with mechanical car components. It needs to be slightly lower to the ground in front of the car as compared to rear of the car. The lower front reduces the amount of air that passes under the car and higher rear helps create a vacuum effect to lower air pressure. This in turn creates greater downforce and therefore improves aerodynamics.

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