Methods and Purposes of Aerodynamic Correlation in Formula Student

Sammanfattning: This thesis investigates how methods of aerodynamic validation can assist a formula student team in designing their aerodynamic package. When de- signing their aerodynamic components, formula student team mostly rely on CFD software simulations, but there is no guarantee that the simulations de- pict properly the physical behaviour of the airflow around the car. For that, aerodynamic validation is a process used to compare specific CFD simula- tions with experiments in order to confirm the accuracy of the simulations results. As a first step in creating validation methods for the Lund Formula Student team, a model of the LFS23 race car was designed, using a CAD software, to a scale of 1:10 that could be 3d printed as well as a S1223 airfoil shape. Experiments were conducted in a windtunnel to measured aerodynamic forces generated by the model and the airfoil at various inlet speeds or angle of attack. In parallel, CFD simulations were ran with the airfoil geometry. The initial CFD configuration was chosen to match the one used by Lund Formula Student to design their aerodynamic package. Several parameters such as turbulence model and boundary layer meshing were tested in order to asses if the initial set of parameters was optimal for accurate results. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that the current set of parameters used by Lund Formula Student is optimal for the CFD simulations, although new parameters could be studies, mainly for the wake refinement behind their car. Apart from the aerodynamic validation process, this thesis also aimed at showing how testing on a scaled model could prove beneficial to chose between two concept with similar performances in CFD.