CFD Analysis of FSAE Car

ISSN(Online) : 2319-8753
ISSN (Print) : 2347-6710
International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,

Engineering and Technology
(An ISO 3297: 2007 Certified Organization)
Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016
CFD Analysis of A FSAE Car Equipped with

Front and Rear Wings
Radhakrishnan C1, Yokeshwaran K 2, Karunaraja N3, Aswatha Narayanan G4,
Deiva Manoj Kannan R5, Gowtham M6
Assistant Professor, Department of Automobile Engineering, Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and
Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India1, 2
Junior Research fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering., Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and
Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India3
UG Scholar, Department of Automobile Engineering, Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and
Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India 4,5,6
ABSTRACT:In motorsport car racing, there are various aspects of the car that determines how fast it can go around
the race track. One such aspect is the aerodynamics of the car. The aerodynamics of the race car is largely influenced
by aerodynamic devices such as front wings, rear wings and undertrays amongst others. These devices generate
considerably increased downforce on the car, which improves the cornering speeds of the race car, which in turn
improves lap timings. This paper focuses on incorporating front and rear wings to a Formula SAE car and comparison
of aerodynamic performance of the car with and without the front and rear wings through commercial Computational
Fluid Dynamic software. The Selig s1223 aerofoil profile was chosen for the design of the front and rear wings with a
two-element set up for both. The 3D CFD analysis of the FSAE car was performed without the wings followed by the
analysis of the FSAE car with the wings using Solid Works Flow Simulation 2014 package. The results showed the
FSAE car with the wings had a better aerodynamic performance than the car without the wings.
KEYWORDS: Aerodynamics, aerofoil, front and rear wings, downforce, Formula SAE, Computational Fluid
Dynamics (CFD).
I. INTRODUCTION
Fuel consumption by an automobile is one of the most important issues facing the automotive industry. Growing fuel
prices and the need for controlling emission levels in an automobile has forced the governments of World nations to
come up with stringent emission norms and fuel efficiency. So the automotive companies have been investing a lot of
money in research and development to come up with ways to increase fuel efficiency and lower emission levels. The
emission levels and fuel consumption could be lowered by improving the engine, transmission, exhaust systems and
aerodynamics of the car amongst others.
Aerodynamics has become one of the most important aspects of motorsport racing for a long time now. Teams invest a
lot of money to improve the aerodynamics of the car by building exclusive wind tunnels. Improving aerodynamics in
race cars include incorporating devices such as front wings, rear wings, barge boards, undertray with diffusers to
increase the downforce on the car which increases the cornering speed and traction of the car. Wings are aerofoils that
are used in airplanes to generate lift force enough for taking off, but with an inverted profile when used in a race car.
The wings generate substantial amount of downforce on the car with an increase in drag force on the car. Wings use
aerofoils in inverted position which generates downforce as opposed to lift force produced by upright aerofoils. There
are a wide variety of aerofoil profiles available. In Formula SAE competition, the speeds are relatively low (average
Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0504193 5573

ISSN (Print) : 2347-6710

maximum speed of about 100 kmph). So, the aerofoil should be carefully chosen to have a considerable effect on the
performance of the car.
The implementation of aerodynamic devices in a FSAE car is limited by the rule book and should meet all the
requirements imposed by it. In order to design the front and rear wings, a FSAE car body was modeled using Solid
Works 2014 package and the CFD analysis was carried out throughout using that model using Solid Works Flow
Simulation 2014 package. This paper mainly concentrates on comparing the downforce gains when the FSAE car is
equipped with front and rear wings to the FSAE car without the wings.
II. RELATED WORK
Initially, the body work for the FSAE car was developed using Solid Works 2014 CAD package. Even though the body
of the car is a surface with certain thickness, a solid body was modeled. The reason for this is that the solid model is
closed and doesn’t have unexpected openings and gaps in the body. So, it is easier during the analysis part. The body
has to conform to certain requirements posed by the FSAE rule book. The body is not supposed to have sharp edges in
critical areas of the car and edges should have minimum radii as specified by the rule book. For simplicity during the
analysis of the car, the rear end of the car was closed. As the driver present in the cockpit also has a considerable effect
in the air flow around the car, a 95th percentile male body in the driving position was also modeled. Tires and axles
were also modeled. In order to design the front and rear wings for FSAE car, the first and foremost process is
theselection of aerofoil profile for the wings. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC) and the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) databases provides the co-ordinates for all the aerofoils. In the FSAE
event, the average maximum speed of the vehicle is limited to 100 kmph. So, an aerofoil profile with a relatively low
Reynolds number should be chosen. After looking into a number of aerofoil profiles, it was found that the Selig S1223
aerofoil was apt for the FSAE application owing to its high downforce and low Reynolds number. The next process
was todetermine the number of elements for the wings. Although, the single element set up is simple to design, a two-
element wing set up was chosen because of its ability to produce higher downforce with a relatively small increase in
drag force on the car. Then, the position of the front and rear wing with respect to the car is determined and the same is
constrained by the stipulations in the rule book. Finally, the analysis part was carried out using Solid Works Flow
Simulation 2014 package first with the FSAE car without the wings and then with the front and rear wings. The results
of the analysis are compared to investigate the advantages of using wings in the FSAE car. The figure.1 shows the
methodology in form of a flowchart.
Modelling of the body CFD Analysis of the FSAE Selection of aerofoil profile for
work for the FSAE car car without wings the wings
Design of front and rear wings
Concluding thoughts Comparison of results and CFD Analysis of the FSAE car
discussions with the wings
Fig.1 Flow chart with methodology

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2.1.Modelling:The modelling of the body work for the FSAE car was done using Solid Works 2014 package. The SI
unit was followed throughout the modelling process. The fig.1 (a) shows the modelled car in isometric view and the
figure.2 (b) shows the body work of the car in side view.
Figure.2 (a) Body work for the FSAE car- isometric viewFigure.2 (b) Body work of the FSAE car- side view
2.2 CFD Analysis of the FSAE car without the wings:The FSAE car was analyzed using Solid Works Flow
Simulation 2014 package. It is simple to use and gives fair results. Initial settings such as the type of flow, fluid
medium and mesh settings are set. A 3D computational domain around the car was set. Ideal wall boundary conditions
were given to the ground and the outlet and roof were left as default. The inlet velocity was set at 60 kmph. The goals
were set for normal forces parallel to the motion of the car (drag force) and perpendicular to the motion of the car
(lift/downforce) The analysis was done and the velocity contours, pressure contours were generated and the lift and
drag forces were calculated by the solver and plotted. Figure.3 shows the 3D computational domain set around the
FSAE car without the wings inside which the flow analysis is done.
Figure. 3 3D computational domain around the FSAE car (without wings)
2.3 Design of Front and rear wings: Figure.4 shows the profile of Selig s1223 aerofoil which was chosen for the
design of both front and rear wings whose coordinates were taken from the UIUC aerofoil database. It can generate a
high lift and has low Reynolds number which is apt for FSAE applications.

ISSN (Print) : 2347-6710

Figure.4 Selig s1223 aerofoil profile
As mentioned earlier, a two-element set up for both front and rear wings were used. The front wing was designed using
Solid Works 2014 package. The front wing was split into two parts with a central part which carries only a single
element at zero angle of attack and the second part being a two-element set up with a main wing at 12 degree angle of
attack and secondary wing at higher angle of attack of 30 degrees. In order to control the vortex formation at the tip of
the wings a basic endplate design was employed to control the vortex formation and also to direct the airflow around
the front tires.The front wing is located at a distance of 512 mm from the front of the front tires and at a height of 13
mm from the ground. Fig.4 (a) and (b) shows the isometric view of the front wing and the position of thewing with
respect to the car respectively.
Figure.4 (a) front wing- isometric view Figure.4 (b) position of the front wing with respect to the car
The rear wing of the car was modeled using Solid Works 2014 package. Unlike the front wing, the rear wing was a
unified unit with a two-element set up of its own. The main wing was set at an angle of attack of 11 degrees and the
second wing was set at an angle of attack of 24 degrees. The rear wing is located at a distance of 230 mm rearward to
the rear of rear tires and at a height of 1648 mm from the ground. The mounting components for the rear wings to the
car were not considered for the analysis. The figure.5 (a) and (b) shows the diametric view of the rear wing and the
position of the rear wing with respect to the car respectively.

ISSN (Print) : 2347-6710

Figure.5 (a) rear wing – diametric viewFigure.5 (b) position of the rear wing with respect to the car
2.4 CFD ANALYSIS OF THE FSAE CAR WITH WINGS: The Solid Works Flow Simulation 2014 package was
again used for the analysis. The initial conditions were set up with the same conditions as before. The 3D
computational domain was set up and the ground was set as an ideal wall and the roof and the outlet were left as
defaults. The inlet velocity of the air was again set at 60 kmph. The goal was set for the calculation of the parallel force
to the motion of the car (drag force) and the perpendicular force (downforce). The analysis was run and the velocity
and pressure contours were generated and the values of drag force and downforce were tabulated. The figure.6 shows
the 3D computational domain set up around the FSAE car with the wings.
Figure.6 3D computational domain around the FSAE car (with wings)
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
3.1 Velocity Contours: The results of the analysis can be viewed in several ways, one of which is the velocity contours
of the airflow around the FSAE car. The comparison of the velocity contours of the air flow around the FSAE car with
and without the front and rear wings were made which is shown below in the figure which shows the different

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velocities at different sections of the car. The figure.7 (a) and (b) shows the velocity contours off the air flow around
the car with wings and without the wings respectively.
Figure.7 (a) velocity contour around the FSAE car (without wings) Figure.7 (b) velocity contour around the FSAE car (with wings)
3.2 Pressure Contours: The pressure contours at the different sections of the FSAE car with and without the front and
rear wings are shown below in figures. The pressure differences because of the different sections of the car influences
the amount of drag force and lift forces created on the car. The Figure.8 (a) and (b) shows the pressure contours
developed around the car with and without the front and rear wings respectively.
Figure.8 (a) pressure contours around the FSAE car (without wings)Figure.8 (b) pressure contours around the FSAE car (with wings)
3.3 Flow trajectories in velocity: The velocity and pressure variations can also be visualized through flow trajectory
of the air flow around the FSAE car. Figure.9 (a) and (b) shows the flow trajectories around the FSAE with and without
the wings respectively in terms of velocity.

ISSN (Print) : 2347-6710

Figure.9 (a) flow trajectory around the FSAE car in terms of velocity Figure.9 (a) flow trajectory around the FSAE car in terms of velocity
(Without wings) (With wings)
3.4 Goal parameters: The CFD results show that the lift force on the car when it is equipped with front and rear wings
is -223 N and the lift force on the car when it is not equipped with front and rear wings is 34 N when the car travels at
60 kmph. The difference in value of the downforce is considerably high when the wings are used on the FSAE car. The
car is pushed to the ground by the wings with a downforce of 223 N. This helps the FSAE car to maneuver the corners
with more traction at higher speeds. The drag force, however, is 107 N when the wings are not used and about 166 N
when the wings are used. This may affect the top speed of the vehicle when it is accelerating on straight lines. The
average top speed of the car is limited to 100 kmph and the extra power available from the engine would compensate
for the increased drag force and the desired top speed might still be achieved.
The tables 1 and 2 show the values of drag and lift forces on the car when it is equipped with the wings and when it is
not equipped with the wings.
Table.1 goal parameters (without wings)
Goal Unit Value Averaged Minimum Maximum Progress Use In Delta Criteria
Value Value
Name Value [%] Convergence
Lift force N 34.9290 34.0815 31.4573 34.9408 100 Yes 2.3564 2.4248
Drag force N -107.4593 -107.0170 -107.4935 -105.8868 100 Yes 1.6067 5.5445

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Table.2 goal parameters (with wings)
Goal Unit Value Averaged Minimum Maximum Progress Use In Delta Criteria
Name Value Value Value [%] Convergence
Lift force N -223.0728 -222.3326 -221.5257 -221.3252 100 Yes 2.2004 5.0068
Drag force N -166.6946 -166.1606 -164.8190 -164.0388 100 Yes 2.7801 7.5917
The graphs 1 (a) and (b) show the trend in the convergence of the values of lift forces in a number of iterations when
the car is not equipped with front and rear wings.
Graph.1 (a) lift force on the FSAE car (without wings) Graph.1 (b) lift forces on the FSAE car (with wings)
The graphs 2 (a) and (b) shows the trend in the convergence of drag forces developed on the FSAE car when it is not
equipped with the wings and when it is equipped with the wings.
Graph.2 (a) drag forces on the FSAE car (without wings)Graph.2 (b) drag forces on the FSAE car (with wings)

ISSN (Print) : 2347-6710

3.5 Discussions: The verification of the simulated results from the computer software can be done with help of
physical testing of a scaled prototype of the FSAE car with help of wind tunnels. Due to time constraints and financial
constraints, the physical testing of the FSAE car for the verification of the simulated results was not done.The
verification of the results obtained can also be obtained by using a different commercial CFD software and comparing
the results obtained from different softwares. Also, there are more advanced CFD softwares available which offer
control over a wide range of settings and can produce more accurate results. But these packages are usually expensive
and are complex to operate. So, students with limited knowledge in CFD will find it difficult to work with the
software.In order to avoid complexity during analysis, the body of the car was closed. Exposed components such as
engine, transmission, radiators, inlet manifolds and exhaust not included. The vehicle dynamic characteristics such as
pitching moment, yaw moment etc., have a great influence on the handling of the FSAE car. This aspect is not
included in this project.This paper doesn’t deal with the effects a rotating wheels and its interaction with the wheels
which bears an effect on the result of the analysis.
V. CONCLUSION
The main motive of this project was to investigate the effect of incorporating front and rear wings in a FSAE car. The
comparison of the CFD analysis results of the FSAE car with and without the front wing and rear wings showed that
when the FSAE car is equipped with the front and rear wings, the downforce on the car is significantly increased and
this would obviously help the car to traverse through the corners of a race track at higher speeds with increasedtraction.
However, the results also showed that there is an increased drag on the car when the car is equipped with wings which
would limit the top speed of the vehicle. So, the use of wings in an FSAE car is very much debatable, but it does have
its advantages helping to improve the lap times in dynamic events of the FSAE competition.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The financial support by the Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu for this
project “CFD Analysis of FSAE car equipped with Front wing and Rear Wing” is gratefully acknowledged.
REFERENCES
[1] Richard G.J. Flay and Andrew R. Hammond, “Aerodynamic Design of a Formula SAE race car”, BBAA VI International Colloquium, Bluff
Bodies Aerodynamics & Applications, July, 20-24 2008.
[2] M.J. Berchak & M.W. Camosy, “Comparison of Full-Scale Wing Wind Tunnel Test to Scale-Model Test for Open Wheel Race Cars,” SAE
942495 Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, USA, 1994.
[3] R.G. Dominy, A. Ryan, D.B. Sims-Williams, “The Aerodynamic Stability of a Le Mans Prototype Race Car Under Off-Design Pitch
Conditions” SAE 2000-01-0872, Society of Automotive Engineers, Warrendale, USA, 2000.
[4] Brandon M. Vehrum, “investigation of aerodynamic lift on a prototype rear spoiler”, 2015.
[5] Selig, M.S., Lyon, C.A., Giguère, P., Ninham, C.N., and Guglielmo, "Summary of Low-Speed Airfoil Data”, Vol. 2, SoarTech Publications,
Virginia Beach, VA, 1996.
[6] Agathangelou, Ben Gascoyne,Mike, “AerodynamicDesignConsiderationsofaFormula 1 Racing Car,” SAE Paper No. 980399, Society of
Automotive Engineers, Warrendael, PA, 1998.
[7] Gad-El-Hak, M., “Control of Low-Speed Airfoil Aerodynamics,” AIAA Journal, Vol. 28, No. 9, 1990, pp. 1537-1552.
BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Radhakrishnan C is an Assistant Professor in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of

Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India. He has presented papers in 1 International and 2 National
conferences. He has published 4 international journals.
Mr. Yokeshwaran K is an Assistant Professor in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of

Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India. He has presented papers in 2 International and 1 National
conference. He has published 4 international journals.

ISSN (Print) : 2347-6710

Mr.Karunaraja N is a Junior Research Fellow-DST-Project (RWTP), GoI, New Delhi. Department of Mechanical
Engineering, Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India. He has published 3
international journals. He has presented papers in 1International and 6 National conferences.
Mr. Aswatha Narayanan G is an UG Scholar in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of

Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India. He is going to complete his graduation in May 2016.
Mr. Deiva Manoj Kannan R is an UG Scholar in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of
Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India. He is going to complete his graduation in May 2016.
Mr.Gowtham M is an UG Scholar in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering
and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India. He is going to complete his graduation in May 2016.

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International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,

Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

CFD Analysis of A FSAE Car Equipped with

Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0504193 5573

International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,

Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

II. RELATED WORK

Design of front and rear wings

Fig.1 Flow chart with methodology

Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0504193 5574

International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,

Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

Figure. 3 3D computational domain around the FSAE car (without wings)

Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0504193 5575

International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,

Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

Figure.4 Selig s1223 aerofoil profile

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International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,

Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

Figure.6 3D computational domain around the FSAE car (with wings)

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

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Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

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Table.1 goal parameters (without wings)

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Table.2 goal parameters (with wings)

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Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

Mr. Radhakrishnan C is an Assistant Professor in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of

Mr. Yokeshwaran K is an Assistant Professor in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of

Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0504193 5581

International Journal of Innovative Research in Science,

Vol. 5, Issue 4, April 2016

Mr. Aswatha Narayanan G is an UG Scholar in Automobile Engineering Department, Dr.Mahalingam College of

Copyright to IJIRSET DOI:10.15680/IJIRSET.2016.0504193 5582

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