To meet future demands on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions it is necessary that the aerodynamic drag of passenger cars be dramatically reduced. To reach long term goals it is required that new methodologies and concepts be tested, verified and implemented. As up to a third of the total drag of a car is created in the area behind the car (the wake), there is still a large undeveloped potential improvement available in this area. Objectives are: build a solid knowledge in the physics behind all wake mechanisms related to passenger cars, develop and deliver upfront numerical and experimental methods for wake control and optimization, create innovate concepts for drag reduction which should be possible to implement in Volvo vehicles, increase in house competence specialized on wake control. Both numerical computations and wind tunnel tests will be used for the purpose.
Professor vid Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Vehicle Engineering and Autonomous Systems
Docent vid Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Vehicle Engineering and Autonomous Systems
Gästforskare vid Chalmers, Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Vehicle Engineering and Autonomous Systems
Gothenburg, Sweden
Funding years 2011–2014
Driving Forces
Areas of Advance