Numerical Investigation of Vehicles Aerodynamics through Driving Tunnels 2000-01-1579

Due to the rapid development in many parts of Egypt, construction of a wide road network is maintaining a rapid pace. But, those roads are affected by the overcrowded big cities. Thus, there is a growing need for driving tunnels to reduce the traffic problems and facilitate transportation. This issue is highly related to economic (fuel consumption) and environmental (pollution and noise) matters. Up to our knowledge, this paper represents the first numerical study to concern driving tunnels in the Middle East. Actual domestic tunnels and vehicles are computationally simulated. Investigations concentrate on flow behavior, especially overall drag coefficient and wake structure behind vehicles. Results show that many parameters, such as tunnel height, and vehicle height and speed, affect the aerodynamic characteristics through driving tunnels.