In the automotive industry, aerodynamics plays an increasingly important role in designing modern vehicles. For mass-produced cars, key commercial goals include high load capacity, speed and driving comfort, while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Therefore, understanding and effectively applying aerodynamics is a fundamental aspect of the design process. This is especially true with the growing number of electric and autonomous vehicles. Let’s find out which basic terms are worth knowing, why aerodynamics is so important for cars and how computer simulations help engineers optimise the airflow around vehicles.
Car aerodynamics involves analyzing airflow around a vehicle, with particular focus on key concepts such as:
The aerodynamics of a car allow engineers to achieve better fuel efficiency, optimise energy consumption and reduce the environmental impact of a car. Streamlined bodywork and precisely designed components such as spoilers and diffusers improve the vehicle’s driving stability and ensure safer driving at higher speeds.
Aerodynamics has a significant impact on a vehicle’s functioning on the road – it affects its energy management, achievable performance, driving stability and safety.
Engineers and designers use various techniques to shape airflow around the vehicle and thus reduce aerodynamic drag and its negative impact on the vehicle’s motion. Well-designed vehicle aerodynamics is the key to lower operating costs, improved tire grip and increased traveling comfort, including noise reduction. Let’s take a look at how vehicle aerodynamics affect fuel consumption, performance and driving stability, as well as which components and design solutions influence these parameters while driving.
One of the most critical aspects of vehicle aerodynamics is its impact on fuel consumption. The lower the air resistance, the less energy the engine needs to keep the vehicle moving. For example, reducing the drag coefficient (Cd) by 0.01 can reduce fuel consumption by up to 0.1 liter per 100 km at a vehicle speed of 130 km/h. In practical terms, this means lower operating costs, which is particularly important for car fleets or city cars, where even small savings on fuel add up to significant amounts on an annual basis.
The aerodynamics of a vehicle also influence its achievable performance and stability. Downforce, which increases the grip of the wheels on the road surface, plays an important role at high speeds. To achieve better driving characteristics, designers use elements such as spoilers and diffusers which increase wheel pressure and improve airflow under the vehicle. This not only stabilises the vehicle but, also improves tire grip, which affects braking safety, steering ability and thrust during acceleration. Spoilers and diffusers are elements that can be found not only in sports cars but, also in city cars and SUVs. You can learn more about their role in improving aerodynamics in the article ‘Car spoilers – what are they, what are they for, and how are they designed’.
CAE simulations are an important part of modern vehicle design, especially in the field of vehicle aerodynamics, where virtual wind tunnels are used. They allow engineers to test and improve models as early as the concept stage, and minimise the need for expensive prototype tests in real, expensive wind tunnels and on the road.
CAE simulations are one of the key tools that support engineers in designing aerodynamic solutions for vehicles. By using advanced simulations of airflow around the car, engineers can test different designs and make modifications before creating a physical prototype. CAE shortens design time, reduces costs and allows engineers to predict the effectiveness of a given design solution under real-life conditions.
CAE simulations enable a detailed analysis of the forces acting on a vehicle while driving and allow for the optimisation of every detail of the design – from the shape of the bodywork, through the arrangement of the car body components, to the shape of the mirrors. Endego offers advanced CAE services that help design vehicles with the best possible aerodynamics while ensuring greater energy efficiency and motion stability.
At very high speeds, above 180 km/h (small plane speed), the vehicle’s movement and the associated turbulence can easily cause vibrations of bodywork sheets, the so-called flutter phenomenon. This effect is loud and very audible. Virtual mechanical and aerodynamic studies detect such effects and help to adjust the structure of the skin, fastening and stiffening of the sheets.
Vehicle aerodynamics is important for the future of the automotive industry, especially in the context of electric and autonomous vehicles. It is the proper exterior geometry that enables better energy management and improved vehicle motion stability, especially in vehicles with an unconventional weight distribution, such as large battery packs and small engines.
Aerodynamics is particularly important for electric vehicles (EVs) because it directly affects the vehicle’s range. For EVs, reducing air resistance is important for energy efficiency, which allows for better use of the energy stored in the batteries and a larger range distance. Electric vehicle design often involves more streamlined shapes, closed grilles and a reduction in elements that could increase aerodynamic drag. Even a slight reduction in aerodynamic drag can extend the vehicle’s range by several kilometers, which is crucial for electric car users.
Autonomous vehicles require an even greater commitment to optimising vehicle aerodynamics in order to improve stability and reduce energy consumption, allowing vehicles to run for longer periods without recharging. In addition, the right aerodynamics affect the precision of navigation and radar systems, which are essential in autonomous vehicles for efficient monitoring of the environment. Aerodynamics reduces the impact of crosswinds on the vehicle, which increases passenger comfort and safety.
Aerodynamics play an important role in modern automotive engineering. They influence fuel consumption, the stability and safety of the vehicle and the traveling comfort. In times when energy efficiency and the environment are priorities, well-engineered aerodynamics enable car manufacturers to meet customer expectations and market challenges. At Endego, we offer comprehensive industrial design services, including CAE engineering simulation services that support the optimisation of airflow around vehicles.
Take a look at our full range offer of car design, commercial vehicle and bus design, rail vehicle design, agricultural machinery design, motorcycle design and support services such as car body design and vehicle interior design.
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