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2008
Conference Paper
Titel
Using intelligent prototypes to improve the aerodynamic design of race car aerofoil profiles
Alternative
Intelligente Prototypen zur Verbesserung des aerodynamischen Entwurfs von Flügelprofilen an Rennfahrzeugen
Abstract
Every hundredth of a second counts in auto racing. Apart from powerful engines, aerodynamic components also influence an overall systems efficiency greatly. Mi leage and performance can be improved by using an intelligent environment consisting of sensors and actors to design the geometry in such a way that negative lift ratios on a vehicle are already the best possible in the prototype phase. The influence of the flow characteristics of aerodynamically relevant vehicle as semblies increases as speed increases. Their impact on vehicle stability and the requisite energy input is considerable. Especially in race cars, these problems attract intense interest since classic aerodynamic designs of aerofoil profiles always represent a compromise of the most important requirements of various design criteria and the aerodynamic potential achievable has been largely exhausted. Significant advances in determining the best ratios between negative lift and drag are promised by actively controlling the flow around an aerofoil by continuously adapting it to current inflow conditions. Components manufactured this way would detect ambient influences and react to them in a controlled manner. Thus, »intelligent« prototypes with variable structural properties and operating performance can be developed. In particular, generative (laminating) rapid prototyping technologies such as LOM/LLM, vacuum casting and processes for the manufacture of fiber composite structures such as lamination or resin injection (RTM processes) are opening entirely new possibilities to meet these complex requirements. The fundamental objectives of this project include developing a technology to actively control fluid mechanical parameters (e.g. drag, lift and negative lift) on aerodynamically relevant race car assemblies and engineering the manufacturing concept to integrate distributed sensor functions in the respective components.