Aerodynamics |
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Aerodynamic Drag increases as a square of the velocity. What this means is that any object traveling through the air at 100 MPH has four times as much drag as it does traveling at 50 MPH. Ultimately, the amount of power needed to drive a vehicle is determined by the rolling resistance of the vehicles tyres and the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle. The drag is a result of the shape of the car so a great deal of attention is given to the “appearance”.
While the Morelli shape is the most aerodynamically desirable, it does not lend itself to some practical realities of the project. When the team realized the size of the boilers that would produce the amount of steam required as well as some of the other operating parameters (driver size not withstanding) the overall shape had to change. So, while the overall concept of the project has been retained with much of the overall shape intact, some substantial changes were necessary. However, the aerodynamic goal of a Coefficient of Drag (Cd) of 0.2 is still within the grasp of the project
The aerodynamics of the car will be extensively analyzed with the help of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This computer simulation will help validate the design before construction of the body begins. There are many examples of aerodynamically friendly shapes in everyday life. Jet Aircraft, high performance sports cars and motorcycles, and high speed trains are just a few. “Clean” aerodynamics are the key to moving an object through the air (or water) quickly while expending the least amount of energy. |
(c) 1999-2008, British Steam Car Challenge |
Part
of the result of the Masters thesis project that was conducted at Southampton
University included creating an aerodynamically efficient shape to reduce
the amount of energy lost to drag. That shape is known at the “Morelli”
shape and it is extremely efficient for a traditional 4-wheeled automobile.