AERODYNAMICS Downforce The term downforce describes the downward pressure created by the aerodynamic ch aracteristics of a car that

allows it to travel faster through a corner by holdi ng the car to the track or road surface. The same principle that allows an airpl ane to rise off the ground by creating lift under its wings is used in reverse t o apply force that presses the race car against the surface of the track. This e ffect is referred to as "aerodynamic grip" and is distinguished from "mechanical grip," which is a function of the car mass repartition, tires and suspension. T he creation of downforce by passive devices can only be achieved at the cost of increased aerodynamic drag (or friction), and the optimum setup is always a comp romise between the two The formula for downforce is given by: Where: D is downforce in newtons WS is wingspan in metres H is height in metres AoA is angle of attack F is drag coefficient is air density in kg/m V is velocity in m/s Aerofoils The amount of downforce created by the wings or spoilers on a car is dependent p rimarily on two things: The shape, including surface area, aspect ratio and cross-section of the device, and The device's orientation (or angle of attack). A larger surface area creates greater downforce and greater drag. The aspect rat io is the width of the airfoil divided by its depth. Also, a greater angle of at tack (or tilt) of the wing or spoiler, creates more downforce and more drag. Drag In fluid dynamics, drag (sometimes called resistance) is the force that resists the movement of a solid object through a fluid (a liquid or gas). Drag is made u p of friction forces, which act in a direction parallel to the object's surface (primarily along its sides, as friction forces at the front and back cancel them selves out), plus pressure forces, which act in a direction perpendicular to the object's surface. For a solid object moving through a fluid or gas, the drag is the sum of all the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces in the direction of the e xternal fluid flow. (Forces perpendicular to this direction are considered lift) . It therefore acts to oppose the motion of the object, and in a powered vehicle it is overcome by thrust. The Drag equation calculates the force experienced by an object moving through a fluid at relatively large velocity (i.e. high Reynolds number, ), also called quadratic drag. The equation is attributed to Lord Rayleigh, who originally used in place of (L being some length). The force on a moving object due to a flui d is: see derivation where Fd is the force of drag, is the density of the fluid (Note that for the Earth's atmosphere, the density c an be found using the barometric formula. It is 1.293 kg/m3 at 0 C and 1 atmosphe re.), v is the speed of the object relative to the fluid, A is the reference area, Cd is the drag coefficient (a dimensionless constant, e.g. 0.25 to 0.45 for a ca r), and is the unit vector indicating the direction of the velocity (the negative sign indicating the drag is opposite to that of velocity).

WINGS GENERATE A LOT OF DRAG AND ARE THEREFORE NOT SUITABLE FOR A 600CC CAR . BU T DOWNFORCE CAN STILL BE GENERATED BY USING THE PHENOMENON OF GROUND EFFECT. Ground Effect Substantial downforce is available by understanding the ground to be part of th e aerodynamic system in question. The basic idea is to create an area of low pre ssure underneath the car, so that the higher pressure above the car will apply a downward force. Naturally, to maximize the force one wants the maximum area at the minimal pressure. Racing car designers have achieved low pressure in two way s: first, by using a fan to pull air out of the cavity; second, to design the un derside of the car so that incoming air is accelerated through a narrow slot bet ween the car and the ground, lowering pressure by Bernoulli's principle. Diffuser A diffuser, in an automotive context, is usually a shaped section of the car und erbody which improves the car's automotive aerodynamics properties by enhancing the transition between the high-velocity airflow underneath the car and the much slower freestream airflow of the ambient atmosphere. It works by providing a sp ace for the underbody airflow to decelerate and expand so that the boundary betw een the car's airflow and "external" airflow is less turbulent, and it also prov ides a degree of "wake infill" (the wake being a turbulent area of low pressure that is caused by the passage of the vehicle through the air; this can cause pre ssure drag). As the air enters towards the front of the car it accelerates and reduces pressu re. There is a second suction peak at the transition of the flat bottom and diff user. The diffuser then eases this "high velocity" air back to normal velocity a nd also helps fill in the area behind the car making the whole underbody a more efficient downforce producing device by reducing drag on the car and increasing downforce. The aft part of a car underbody can be a diffuser. It tries to connect the under body to the back without producing turbulences so that Bernoulli's principle app lies and the pressure increases while the velocity decreases. The side and the r oof end in a sharp edge, so that their pressure does not increase. Because the p ressure in the back tends to equilibrate, the pressure below the car is lower th an on the side and the roof of the car. The diffuser works on the venturi effect the theoretical pressure drop (P1 P2) at the constriction would be given by Thus downforce is generated without much drag. FSAE-considerations 1)FSAE allows the use of undertrays and diffusers for ground effect as well as aerofoils for downforce. 2)But since aerofoils generate too much drag we may not use aerofoils. 3)We can have an aerodynamic design by properly controlling the air-flow aroun d the car and making a diffuser. 4)This will help in generating the downforce required without any drag . 5)As a consequence the cornering speeds will increase and the control of the car will be better.