CFD SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF VEHICLES USING VORTEX GENERATORS WITH SOLID WORKS FLOW SIMULATION

The rapid evolution of technology within the modern automotive industry has necessitated a paradigm shift in vehicle design, focusing not only on high performance but also on peak energy efficiency. A critical determinant of a vehicle's performance and efficiency is its aerodynamic profile. As a vehicle moves, it continuously displaces surrounding air, generating aerodynamic drag due to air resistance. Effective management of this airflow over, under, and around the vehicle body minimizes drag, thereby enhancing fuel economy, extending battery range, and improving high-speed stability through optimized downforce and lift characteristics. A primary challenge in automotive aerodynamics is flow separation, where the boundary layer of air detaches from the vehicle's rear contours due to adverse pressure gradients, creating a turbulent wake that drastically increases form drag. To mitigate this phenomenon, aerodynamicists employ passive flow control devices known as Vortex Generators (VGs). These strategically placed aerodynamic vanes manipulate the boundary layer by generating controlled localized vortices that draw high-energy air closer to the surface, delaying flow separation and shrinking the turbulent wake. This research conducts a comprehensive aerodynamic simulation using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) via SolidWorks Flow Simulation on a sports car model. The methodology involves establishing an accurate baseline computational model, introducing vortex generators, and quantifying the resultant alterations in pressure distribution and drag forces. By extracting drag coefficients, generating surface pressure contour plots, and visualizing flow trajectories, this study evaluates the overall impact of VGs on vehicle performance efficiency. Benchmarked against established Formula SAE aerodynamic studies, this dissertation provides vital, data-driven insights into optimized VG application, aiding the automotive industry's pursuit of highly efficient, high-performance vehicle design methodologies.