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The present paper describes the application of a numerical tool for the evaluation of the aerodynamic performance of a streamlined car shape. The numerical simulations are carried out using a commercial code based on an unstructured grid layout. Tests are made using the k-ε turbulence model and the Shear Stress Transport model. The influence of the advection scheme is also studied. The experimental measurements are made on a Gottingen-type wind tunnel with a test section of 2x2x8 m3. Computations are compared with experimental values for the surface pressure distribution and measured forces.

The present paper describes the procedure employed and the results obtained in a study on the aerodynamic characteristics of an experimental car. The aim of the study was to optimize the aerodynamic performance of a prototype developed for the 15th Shell Eco-Marathon Contest 1999. The aerodynamic optimization was conducted via a numerical study. The code employed solves the Navier-Stokes equations in a boundary-fitted coordinate system, using the SIMPLEC procedure. Turbulence effects upon the mean flow field were modeled using a low-Reynolds number k-ε turbulence model. The analysis of both the pressure distribution and the values for the aerodynamic coefficients allowed the tuning of the car shape in terms of aerodynamic performance.