CBL - Campus del Baix Llobregat

Projecte llegit

Títol: Aerodynamic Performance Analysis of a Rear Diffuser on a Formula 1 Car

Estudiants que han llegit aquest projecte:

Director/a: ALTMEYER, SEBASTIÁN ANDREAS

Departament: FIS

Títol: Aerodynamic Performance Analysis of a Rear Diffuser on a Formula 1 Car

Data inici oferta: 30-01-2025     Data finalització oferta: 30-09-2025


Estudis d'assignació del projecte:
    GR ENG SIS TELECOMUN
    GR ENG SIST AEROESP
    GR ENG TELEMÀTICA
Tipus: Individual
 
Lloc de realització: EETAC
 
Paraules clau:
Formula 1, Diffuser, Aerodynamic optimization, Aerodynamic efficiency, CFD simulations
 
Descripció del contingut i pla d'activitats:
Today, the aerodynamic is one of the most important field in automotive, especially in competition automotive, as in the case of Formula 1. In this competition, who has better aerodynamic is who will win races and, thus who will win money. Nevertheless, Formula 1 car is composed by many components and for that reason, the aerodynamic study of the entire car is a difficult job.

This TFG devotes to the study of the aerodynamic about car bottom, the undertray. In particular to the rear diffuser of a formula 1 car. Based on current state-of-the-art the
aerodynamic performance of the rear diffuser on an F1 car will be evaluate and optimized with the goal to maximize downforce and minimize drag.
Plan of work:
- Define the problem and objectives.
- Model the car and set up the base configuration.
- Design variations of the diffuser.
- Perform CFD simulations.
- Analyze the results and optimize them.
 
Overview (resum en anglès):
This project presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the The aerodynamic performance of a rear diffuser on a Formula 1 car was studied, focusing on how geometric and flow parameters influence downforce generation and efficiency. The research used simplified geometries based on the 2017 FIA Technical Regulations, modelled in SolidWorks and simulated in ANSYS Fluent under steady-state conditions at an inlet velocity of 50 m/s.

A parametric analysis examined the effects of diffuser angle, rake angle, and ride height, as well as alternative diffuser shapes, sealed floor configurations, strakes, and rotating wheels. Results indicated that increasing the diffuser and rake angles improves downforce up to an optimal point, after which drag increases due to vortex formation and partial flow separation. The optimal aerodynamic balance was found at a diffuser angle of about 13.39° and a ride height of 80 mm without rake.

Among all configurations tested, the sealed floor yielded the greatest improvement, nearly tripling downforce while maintaining similar drag, emphasising the importance of ground-effect sealing. The addition of strakes further stabilised the flow, while rotating wheels introduced wake effects that diminished diffuser efficiency.

Overall, the study affirms CFD as an effective tool for analysing aerodynamics in Formula 1 design and offers valuable insights for future diffuser optimisation and ground-effect applications.

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