Aerodynamic Analysis of F1 IN SCHOOLS™ Car

Abstract

F1 IN SCHOOLS™ is a worldwide competition that is part of the efforts undertaken by the STEM educational model. In order to increase the performance of the F1 IN SCHOOLS™ car in terms of speed, two important parameters related to aerodynamic analysis are considered - drag coefficient and downforce coefficient. Drag force is a force that acts in the direction that is opposite of the car's motion, thus reducing the car's maximum speed. Meanwhile, sufficient downforce is beneficial to the car model because it allows the car's wheels to remain in contact with the track surface without going off-track. The most important component of a F1 IN SCHOOLS™ car is its front wing since its design has a significant effect on the drag coefficient and downforce coefficient induced by the air flow. Therefore, the objective of this study is to design a front wing that is capable of producing low drag coefficient while maintaining sufficient downforce coefficient. Moreover, this study also aims to examine the method of preventing flow separation at the rear part of the car model. This study will use Autodesk Inventor Professional to create the car mode. The simulation will be run using the STAR CCM+ software. The simulation will also be used to obtain the drag coefficient and downforce coefficient of the car.