Vehicle Wheel Passage Openings for Drag Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle wheels on double-track vehicles face a challenge in reducing drag while maintaining effective cooling airflow for the wheel brake, as traditional passage openings do not efficiently manage aerodynamic forces, leading to increased fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
The passage openings in the wheel design decrease in width against the rotating direction, with virtual centers of these openings moving towards the wheel center, reducing the lever arm of the pressure force and minimizing the moment of resistance against wheel rotation, while maintaining sufficient airflow for cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If passage openings are designed with constant width in the radial direction, then manufacturing is simple, but aerodynamic drag and moment of resistance are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The passage opening width is varied locally along the radial direction, with the width being larger at the outer radius and smaller at the inner radius. This local variation optimizes the aerodynamic properties of the wheel by reducing the moment of resistance, while the overall structure remains simple to manufacture.
2Loss of energy
If passage openings are designed with changing width to reduce moment of resistance, then fuel consumption decreases, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The width parameter of the passage opening is changed continuously or in steps along the radial direction. This parameter variation is designed to reduce the moment of resistance caused by aerodynamic forces, achieving measurable fuel consumption reduction while maintaining a relatively simple geometric form that can be manufactured using conventional methods.
3Loss of energy
If a full-surface lateral cover of the wheel house is implemented, then drag is reduced, but cooling airflow to the wheel brake is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel cover is segmented with passage openings that allow cooling airflow to pass through to the wheel brake. The segmentation is designed with specific width variations in the radial direction to maintain adequate cooling while minimizing aerodynamic drag and moment of resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The passage openings are strategically positioned and dimensioned with varying width along the radial direction to provide localized cooling airflow where needed, while the remaining areas of the wheel cover maintain a streamlined shape to reduce overall drag.
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 design reduces fuel consumption by minimizing the moment of resistance caused by aerodynamic forces, achieving a measurable decrease in fuel consumption without compromising the cooling airflow.
Implementation Method 1
aerodynamic forces and the wheel rotation
Implementation Method 2
reducing the lever arm of the pressure force
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle wheel for a double-track vehicle or an external cover therefor is provided, having passage openings, particularly for a cooling air flow for a wheel brake provided on the interior side of the wheel, in the lateral projection. The passage openings have a width in the radial direction which changes when viewed in the circumferential direction such that, viewed against the rotating direction of the wheel when the vehicle is driving forward, the above-mentioned width Viewed in the radial direction, centers of the virtual segments of the passage opening which follow one another against the rotating direction move in the direction of the wheel center. As a result, the force as well as the lever arm of the drag is reduced, so that a moment of resistance is obtained which is significantly decreased. The passage openings are preferably bounded by spokes extending essentially in the radial direction.