Vehicle Side Duct Structure With Rotatable Flow Guide for Vortex Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle side structures experience unsteady vortices and noise due to airflow separation at the lower surface of the stay, leading to fluctuations in downforce and steering stability, as well as reduced in-vehicle quietness when wind direction changes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle side structure with a duct portion, rotation shaft, and flow guide portion shaped to accelerate airflow on the lower surface, supported at its center of gravity by the rotation shaft, and restricted by a rotation restricting portion to maintain balanced pressure and reduce unsteady vortices and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a stay is fixed in the duct to guide air flow upwards and apply downforce, then road followability is improved, but unsteady vortices occur at the lower surface of the stay when wind direction changes, causing fluctuations in downforce and steering stability
Solution Approach 1:
The flow guide portion is made rotatable about the rotation shaft instead of being fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its orientation in response to changing wind directions. This dynamic adjustment enables the flow guide portion to maintain effective airflow guidance while preventing unsteady vortices that would occur with a fixed structure subjected to varying wind conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow guide portion automatically orients itself to the optimal position through rotation about the rotation shaft, utilizing the airflow forces themselves to achieve proper alignment. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates the need for external control systems while maintaining stable downforce and steering characteristics under varying wind conditions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a stay is fixed in the duct to generate air curtain and reduce air resistance, then vehicle stability is improved, but louder sound is generated in the duct and radiated to the outside when wind direction changes, reducing in-vehicle quietness
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable flow guide portion dynamically adjusts its position to maintain smooth airflow through the duct under varying wind conditions. By preventing airflow separation and unsteady vortices through proper orientation, the system reduces turbulence-induced noise while maintaining air resistance reduction benefits.
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 structure improves in-vehicle quietness and maintains steering stability by reducing unsteady vortices and noise, while enhancing road followability through balanced airflow guidance and restricted rotation.
Implementation Method 1
a flow guide portion shaped in such a manner that a lower surface in a vehicle up-down direction of the flow guide portion speeds up a flow of the air more than an upper surface in the vehicle up-down direction of the flow guide portion
Implementation Method 2
a flow guide portion supported by the rotation shaft at a center of gravity of the flow guide portion
Data Source
AI summary
The vehicle side structure includes: a duct portion disposed forward in a vehicle front-rear direction of a tire and including an inlet port for introducing air when the vehicle is traveling and an outlet port for discharging the air when the vehicle is traveling; a rotation shaft extending in a vehicle width direction between the inlet port and the outlet port and connected to the duct portion; and a flow guide portion supported by the rotation shaft at a center of gravity of the flow guide portion and shaped in such a manner that a lower surface in a vehicle up-down direction of the flow guide portion speeds up a flow of the air more than an upper surface in the vehicle up-down direction of the flow guide portion.