Karaki Ahmad, Abu Sirreya Mohammad, Zalloum Majdi, Amro Husein
mechanical engineering, Palestine Polytechnic University, Hebron, Palestinian Territory.
F1000Res. 2025 Jun 9;14:469. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.160307.2. eCollection 2025.
Vehicle safety and stability are critical in the automotive industry, with aerodynamics playing a key role in enhancing these attributes. Spoilers, when effectively designed, can significantly influence airflow, downforce, and lift. This study investigates the aerodynamic performance of spoilers modeled as airfoils with adjustable trailing edges, aiming to dynamically control aerodynamic forces and improve vehicle stability and performance.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted using ANSYS Fluent® to analyze the impact of varying trailing edge angles (AOTE) on aerodynamic forces. A detailed Tesla vehicle model was created in CATIA™, and simulations were performed across a speed range of 120-350 km/h. The Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model was employed to ensure accurate flow prediction. A wind tunnel domain and grid independence validation were used to ensure numerical reliability. Boundary conditions included velocity inlets, pressure outlets, and no-slip wall boundaries.
Adjusting the trailing edge angle produced significant variations in lift and downforce. At an angle of 30°, the negative lift (downforce) increased by up to 36%. At 0°, it increased by up to 17%. During acceleration phases, the controlled generation of positive lift improved aerodynamic efficiency, yielding a total lift increase of up to 15%. The simulated drag coefficient was 0.256, differing by 6% from Tesla's reported value of 0.24, primarily due to mesh refinement level and geometric simplifications.
This study demonstrates that a spoiler with a movable trailing edge can significantly enhance vehicle handling, acceleration, and aerodynamic stability by actively modulating lift and downforce. The findings support the integration of active aerodynamic control systems in vehicle design. Future research will focus on control system development and experimental validation under real-world driving conditions.
车辆安全性和稳定性在汽车行业至关重要，空气动力学在提升这些特性方面发挥着关键作用。扰流板若设计得当，可显著影响气流、下压力和升力。本研究调查了模拟为具有可调节后缘的翼型的扰流板的空气动力学性能，旨在动态控制空气动力并改善车辆稳定性和性能。
使用ANSYS Fluent®进行计算流体动力学（CFD）模拟，以分析不同后缘角度（AOTE）对空气动力的影响。在CATIA™中创建了详细的特斯拉车辆模型，并在120 - 350 km/h的速度范围内进行模拟。采用剪切应力输运（SST）湍流模型以确保准确的流动预测。使用风洞域和网格独立性验证来确保数值可靠性。边界条件包括速度入口、压力出口和无滑移壁边界。
调整后缘角度会使升力和下压力产生显著变化。在30°角时，负升力（下压力）增加高达36%。在0°时，增加高达17%。在加速阶段，可控的正升力产生提高了空气动力学效率，使总升力增加高达15%。模拟的阻力系数为0.256，与特斯拉报告的0.24值相差6%，主要是由于网格细化水平和几何简化。
本研究表明，具有可移动后缘的扰流板可通过主动调节升力和下压力显著增强车辆操控性、加速性能和空气动力学稳定性。研究结果支持在车辆设计中集成主动空气动力学控制系统。未来的研究将集中在控制系统开发以及实际驾驶条件下的实验验证。
