Preliminary Numerical Modelling of a Dynamic Spring-Mounted Wing System to Reduce the Drag of Vehicles at Higher Speeds

Abstract

The dynamic behaviour of a spring-mounted symmetrical NACA0012 wing in a freestream flow of air is studied in the pre-stall region, over 0° to 12° angles of incidence. The primary aim of this work is for use within the automotive sector to reduce drag and fuel emissions. However, this work will also be of interest in the motorsport sector to improve performance, and also have some applications within the aerospace and renewable energy sectors. The general operation of the concept has previously been verified at these low angles in the pre-stall region with that of a theoretical estimation using finite and infinite wings. This paper provides a numerical solution of the same problem and is compared with the previous experimentation. At these low angles, the computations yield a dynamic response settling into a static equilibrium. The stable solutions match the start of a steady regime well, when compared with the experiment. The trends are also comparable with the experiment, but the velocities at which they occur are underestimated in the computation. The computations demonstrate a drag reduction of 59% when compared to a fixed wing, whereas the lift remains stable at a near constant value with increasing wind speed. Thence, downforce is maintained whilst drag is reduced, which will facilitate higher speeds on the straight whilst maintaining vehicle direction stability. Limitations to this proof-of-concept work are highlighted and future development work is suggested to achieve even further increases in performance.