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.

This book provides an introduction to ground vehicle aerodynamics and methodically guides the reader through the various aspects of the subject. Those needing specific information or a refresher can easily jump to the material of interest. There is a particular emphasis on various vehicle types (passenger cars, trucks, trains, motorcycles, race cars, etc.). However, the book is focused on cars and trucks, which are the most common vehicles in the speed range in which the study of ground vehicle aerodynamics is beneficial. Readers will gain a fundamental understanding of the topic, which will help them design vehicles that have improved aerodynamics; this will lead to better fuel efficiency, improved performance, and increased passenger comfort. The author’s basic approach to the presentation of the material is complemented with review questions, application questions, exercises, and suggested projects at the end of most of the chapters, which helps the reader apply the information presented, either in the classroom or for self-study. Aside from offering a solid understanding of ground vehicle aerodynamics, the book also offers more thorough study of several key topics. One such topic is car-truck interaction, when one vehicle (usually the smaller one) is overtaking the other. There is a direct and instant benefit in terms of safety on the highway from understanding the forces at play when one vehicle passes the other in the same direction and sense. Chapters examine: • Drag • Noise and vehicle soiling • Wind tunnels and road/track testing • Numerical methods • Vehicle stability and control • Vehicle sectional design • Large vehicles: trucks, trailers, buses, trains • Severe service and off-road vehicles • Race cars and convertibles • Motorcycles • Concept vehicles

This text provides a comprehensive introduction to road vehicle aerodynamic design for students, engineers and designers working in the automotive field.

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.

A comprehensive introduction for students, practising automotive engineers and designers, and anyone with a general interest in the subject. Intended to be affordable by students. Unnecessary details or highly vehicle-specific information has been omitted, but a comprehensive list of references is given, usually with a summary.

The first book to summarize the secrets of the rapidly developing field of high-speed vehicle design. From F1 to Indy Car, Drag and Sedan racing, this book provides clear explanations for engineers who want to improve their design skills and enthusiasts who simply want to understand how their favorite race cars go fast. Explains how aerodynamics win races, why downforce is more important than streamlining and drag reduction, designing wings and venturis, plus wind tunnel designs and more.

This volume contains papers presented at the International conference “The Aerodynamics of Heavy Vehicles III: Trucks, Buses and Trains” held in Potsdam, Germany, September 12-17, 2010 by Engineering Conferences International (ECI). Leading scientists and engineers from industry, universities and research laboratories, including truck and high-speed train manufacturers and operators were brought together to discuss computer simulation and experimental techniques to be applied for the design of more efficient trucks, buses and high-speed trains in the future. This conference was the third in the series after Monterey-Pacific Groove in 2002 and Lake Tahoe in 2007.The presentations address different aspects of train aerodynamics (cross wind effects, underbody flow, tunnel aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, experimental techniques), truck aerodynamics (drag reduction, flow control, experimental and computational techniques) as well as computational fluid dynamics and bluff body, wake and jet flows.

This book includes the carefully edited contributions to the United Engineering Foundation Conference: The Aerodynamics of Heavy Vehicles: Trucks, Buses and Trains held in Monterey, California from December 2-6, 2002. This conference brought together 90 leading engineering researchers discussing the aerodynamic drag of heavy vehicles. The book topics include a comparison of computational fluid dynamics calculations using both steady and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes, large-eddy simulation, and hybrid turbulence models and experimental data obtained from wind tunnel experiments. Advanced experimental techniques including three-dimensional particle image velocimetry are presented as well, along with their use in evaluating drag reduction devices.

The automobile is an icon of modern technology because it includes most aspects of modern engineering, and it offers an exciting approach to engineering education. Of course there are many existing books on introductory fluid/aero dynamics but the majority of these are too long, focussed on aerospace and don’t adequately cover the basics. Therefore, there is room and a need for a concise, introductory textbook in this area. Automotive Aerodynamics fulfils this need and is an introductory textbook intended as a first course in the complex field of aero/fluid mechanics for engineering students. It introduces basic concepts and fluid properties, and covers fluid dynamic equations. Examples of automotive aerodynamics are included and the principles of computational fluid dynamics are introduced. This text also includes topics such as aeroacoustics and heat transfer which are important to engineering students and are closely related to the main topic of aero/fluid mechanics. This textbook contains complex mathematics, which not only serve as the foundation for future studies but also provide a road map for the present text. As the chapters evolve, focus is placed on more applicable examples, which can be solved in class using elementary algebra. The approach taken is designed to make the mathematics more approachable and easier to understand. Key features: Concise textbook which provides an introduction to fluid mechanics and aerodynamics, with automotive applications Written by a leading author in the field who has experience working with motor sports teams in industry Explains basic concepts and equations before progressing to cover more advanced topics Covers internal and external flows for automotive applications Covers emerging areas of aeroacoustics and heat transfer Automotive Aerodynamics is a must-have textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in automotive and mechanical engineering, and is also a concise reference for engineers in industry.