Adaptive Air-Guiding Device for Vehicle Wheel House Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-guiding devices in vehicles are inefficient in removing air streams, leading to high aerodynamic drag and lift, which affect vehicle speed and stability, especially at high speeds, due to uniform profiles that do not adapt to varying flow conditions caused by fans and heat exchangers.
Innovation Solution
An air-guiding device with slats having regions with different profiles and angles of attack, optimized for specific flow conditions, to minimize aerodynamic drag and prevent dirt entry, allowing efficient air stream exit and reduced lift by directing air past the wheel house.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If uniform profiles are used in air-guiding devices, then manufacturing is simplified, but aerodynamic drag increases due to inability to adapt to varying flow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The air-guiding device employs slats with varying profiles along their length, where each local section has a specific profile shape optimized for the local flow conditions. The profiles transition from flatter shapes at the leading edge to more curved shapes toward the trailing edge, allowing each segment to efficiently guide air according to the varying flow velocity and direction at that location, thereby reducing overall aerodynamic drag while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through modular construction.
2Device complexity
If uniform profiles are used in air-guiding devices, then device complexity is reduced, but aerodynamic performance deteriorates due to inability to handle turbulent and linear flows differently
Solution Approach 1:
The air-guiding device is segmented into multiple slats, each comprising several sections with different profiles. The slats are arranged in rows and columns, with each slat capable of independently guiding air flows. This segmentation allows the device to handle both turbulent flows from the fan and linear flows from the heat exchanger simultaneously, with different slat sections optimized for different flow types, thereby improving air stream removal efficiency without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The air-guiding device incorporates movable or adjustable slats that can change their orientation and profile presentation dynamically. The slats can be rotated or repositioned to present different effective profiles depending on the prevailing flow conditions, allowing the device to adapt between handling turbulent fan-induced flows and linear heat exchanger flows, thereby optimizing aerodynamic performance across varying operating conditions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If air streams are not efficiently removed, then aerodynamic lift increases affecting vehicle stability, but energy consumption increases due to fan acceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The air-guiding device is positioned and configured to preemptively guide air flows before they can create excessive lift or require additional fan energy. By pre-shaping the flow paths through strategically positioned slats with specific profiles, the device reduces turbulence and directs air efficiently over and around the vehicle, decreasing lift generation and reducing the energy required by fans to maintain proper cooling airflow.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The air-guiding device reduces aerodynamic drag and lift, enhancing vehicle speed and stability by efficiently transferring air streams out of the vehicle, while preventing dirt entry and optimizing cooling of wheel brakes.
Implementation Method 1
an air stream approaching the slats has to overcome a reduced aerodynamic drag when passing through the respective slats
Implementation Method 2
the air stream generally does not flow linearly, but rather flows turbulently. As a result, flow regions of different speeds and associated different aerodynamic properties form in the ventilation duct
Implementation Method 3
The air-guiding device reduces aerodynamic drag and lift, enhancing vehicle speed and stability by efficiently transferring air streams out of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
An air-guiding device (7) can be arranged in a wheel house of a motor vehicle and has a plurality of slats (12). Each slat (12) has at least one first region (11.1, 11.3) with a first profile and at least one second region (11.2, 11.4) with a second profile. The respective profile of the respective region (11) of the respective slat (12) is matched to the respective flow conditions present by a respective shaping and a respective angle of attack. Therefore an air stream approaching the slats (12) has to overcome a reduced aerodynamic drag when passing through the respective slats (12).