Vehicle Underbody Airflow Layout Using Plasma Actuators Near Wheels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airflows colliding with wheels under a vehicle body disrupt the flow field around the vehicle, leading to increased air resistance, aerodynamic noise, and reduced operation stability, as they form turbulent flows and stagnant regions, necessitating an effective airflow adjustment mechanism.
Innovation Solution
The airflow adjusting apparatus employs plasma actuators on the vehicle's underside to generate specific airflows that deflect and redirect turbulent airflows away from wheels, using bipolar or three-pole plasma actuators to control airflow direction and prevent collisions with rear wheels, thereby stabilizing the airflow field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If airflows are allowed to flow naturally under the vehicle body, then the structure is simple and energy consumption is low, but air resistance increases and aerodynamic noise is generated due to turbulent flows around wheels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical airflow control devices (such as flaps or valves) with plasma actuators that use electrical fields to generate ion wind. This substitution eliminates moving parts and mechanical complexity while achieving active airflow control to reduce air resistance and aerodynamic noise around the wheels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs plasma-induced ion wind (a gas flow mechanism) to actively control airflow patterns under the vehicle body. By generating controlled airflows through plasma actuators, the system manipulates fluid dynamics to prevent turbulent flows around wheels, thereby reducing air resistance without mechanical components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If plasma actuators are used to actively control airflow, then air resistance and aerodynamic noise are reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma actuators are strategically positioned only in critical regions where airflow separation and turbulence occur (such as near wheel housings and underbody panels). By applying plasma actuation only where necessary rather than throughout the entire vehicle, the system achieves effective noise reduction while minimizing overall energy consumption.
3Productivity
If airflow is deflected away from wheels to reduce turbulence, then air resistance decreases, but airflow control precision must increase
Solution Approach 1:
The airflow control system is divided into multiple independent plasma actuators positioned at different locations under the vehicle body. Each actuator independently controls airflow in its local region, allowing precise directional control of airflows to prevent wheel collision while maintaining overall system effectiveness. This segmentation enables localized optimization without requiring complex global control.
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
This solution effectively reduces air resistance, aerodynamic noise, and improves vehicle stability by accelerating and deflecting stagnant airflows, preventing collisions with rear wheels and enhancing airflow integration with central winds, thus improving overall vehicle performance.
Implementation Method 1
The plasma actuator is configured to generate an airflow that deflects a direction of movement of a main flow component of an airflow
Implementation Method 2
The first airflow generator is provided on a bottom surface of a vehicle body and behind the front wheel and is configured to generate a first airflow moving backward of the vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
An airflow adjusting apparatus to be provided in a vehicle includes a first airflow generator and a second airflow generator. The vehicle includes a front wheel and a rear wheel that are disposed in a vehicle longitudinal direction to be partly protruded from a bottom surface of a vehicle body of the vehicle downward in a vertical direction of the vehicle body. The first airflow generator is provided on the bottom surface of the vehicle body and behind the front wheel, and configured to generate a first airflow moving backward of the vehicle. The second airflow generator is provided on the bottom surface of the vehicle body and behind the first airflow generator, and configured to generate a second airflow that deflects, vehicle-widthwise inward, an airflow flowing in from a side on which the first airflow generator is disposed.